Beating the Odds
by perpetualpathology
Summary: Sam and Tom want to start having a family together, but when they discover something -that isn't necessarily a complication- about the pregnancy, their family's future is uncertain. This 'something' interests medics across the world as the rare occurrence often ends in heartbreak. But will it be the same for this couple?
1. Chapter 1

Tom was sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxer after waking up mere minutes ago. He was just waiting for the woman, who he had been able to call his wife for two weeks, to exit their ensuite bathroom with a plastic stick in her hands where they would see the result together. It had been on their wedding night that they had consummated the wedding and decided that they were going to try for a baby because they were ready.

Sam had been taking vitamins for weeks, and one of the main ingredients was folic acid which they knew helped to prevent birth defects. She had also not had a drop of alcohol since their engagement because she had been broody, as had he, for quite some time. They had the money, and the security of a well paid job, so they were ready to settle and make a family.

It was the day she was due her period, and usually she came on overnight but that hadn't happened, so that had filled them both with hope. She hadn't had any symptoms at all becuase if she was pregnant, she'd only be four weeks but she'd still been looking out for any niggly things like going off her food or going to the toilet a bit more often. Yet nothing was out of the ordinary other than slightly tender breasts but she knew that it could be caused by an incoming period, or by pregnancy so it could've been a telltale sign of either.

The door clicked open and Sam came out in her pyjama shorts and vest top. She sat next to him on the bed with the screen of the plastic stick being covered by her thumb.  
"One more minute I think." Sam said whilst she held the test in the middle, still covering the screen. "Jesus, I don't think I've been this nervous since my exams." Sam exclaimed.  
"Me neither. But, whatever the result is, it doesn't matter okay. We've got plenty of time to try again." Tom said softly.  
"I know, I know." Sam replied. "Right, you ready?" She asked as she braced herself for the result that would show them one line or two, but not a number because she saw no point in spending more money on a test to tell her how far gone - if she was pregnant- because they had only had unprompted sex once, on their wedding night, so they knew when the baby would have been conceived.  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Tom nodded as he wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulder.

After taking a deep breath, she silently moved her thumb out of the way to reveal the screen showing two strong lines.  
"Oh my god!" Sam squealed and Tom let out a small laugh as he took the news in.  
"Come here." He smiled as they both stood up and pulled each other into a tight hug.  
"I can't believe it, we're having a baby!" Sam stated happily as she pulled apart.  
"Let's not get too excited, it's still early days." Tom warned, but he still couldn't conceal the smile that was tugging at his lips.  
"I know, daddy Kent." Sam smiled sheepishly and Tom pulled her into a hug once more. "I'll phone obs and gynae and book an appointment for after our shifts yeah?"  
"Don't you think it's a bit early?" He asked as she rested her hands on his chest.  
"No. I think it's best to start getting antenatal care now. Besides, if I don't tell someone I'm gonna burst." She smiled. "But that doesn't mean we're telling anyone else yet okay." Sam said sternly to Tom.  
"Of course. Now then, seeing as we've lost a couple of extra minutes this morning, I think we might have to share a shower or we'll be late." Tom said suggestively.  
"Tom, it's 6:30am." Sam stated.  
"Is that a no?" He asked curiously.  
"Depends. Can I wash my hair first?" She asked sheepishly.  
"Only if you don't take twenty minutes like you usually do." He stated as they both walked into the ensuite.

* * *

**5:30pm**

"Please, come in. Take a seat." The obs and gynae consultant, Mr T, said cheerily as Sam and Tom entered his office and sat down on the chairs by his desk. "Now," he said after he'd closed the door and sat down at his desk. "What can I do for you?" He asked.  
"I'm pregnant, four weeks." Sam stated.  
"Well congratulations." Mr T smiled. "Do you know it's four weeks for definite..." He trailed off as Sam pulled an orange envelope out of her handbag and handed it to him.  
"We work in the ED... I thought it'd be quicker if I did a blood and urine test before hand." Sam admitted as he began to take a look.  
"Right. Well, these match with being four weeks." Mr T agreed. "So, I'll be your obstetrician throughout your pregnancy, and you'll either meet with me or a midwife on your appointments okay?" He smiled and Sam and Tom nodded. "Right, let's start with a couple of questions, first of all have you got any gynecological problems such as STIs, or have you had any in the past?" He asked.

"Nope." Sam replied.  
"Okay, is this your first pregnancy?"  
"I should hope so." Tom stated. "Sorry." Tom muttered after receiving a glare.  
"Yes it is." She stated.  
"And, when was your last smear test?" Mr T asked.  
"Um... Just over two years ago I think."  
"Right well, we'd best do one now if you're okay with that. And I can give you a pelvic examination too."  
"Yeah sure." Sam rolled her eyes at the thought but she got up and went over to the bed towards the back of the room. Mr T was just pulling on a pair of gloves when Sam noticed that Tom was looking so she pulled the curtain around the bed so that he couldn't see anything.

* * *

**7pm**  
After spending more than an hour asking and answering questions, and listening to advice, Sam and Tom were walking out hand in hand to their car in the hospital car park. She had her next appointment booked. It was going to be when she was 12 weeks gone and she would have her first ultrasound scan.  
"Right, what do you want for dinner?" He asked. "Shall we pop to tescos quickly?" He suggested.  
"Nah, let's just make do with what we've got." Sam sighed.  
"Why? You feeling tired?" He asked happily.  
"Stop looking so smug about it."  
"Sorry it's just... I'm excited!" He smiled. "How about, I cook some pasta with a healthy tomatoey sauce, and I'll chop up the apples and bananas we've got in the fruit bowl for pudding?" He suggested. "And, if you want to get into bed, I'll bring it to you." He added.  
"Sounds perfect." Sam nodded.  
"And if you're interested, there's a celebratory cuddle on offer." He smiled.

"You'll have to be gentle; my arm's a bit sore." Sam admitted because she had just had the influenza jab for her and her baby. She didn't mind needles at all, but her arm was beginning to ache.  
"I'm always gentle." Tom protested.  
"Pft, you gentle?" Sam laughed. "Don't you remember the time you tried cutting up a swede but it was rock solid so you ended up chopping left right and centre?" Sam remarked and Tom squinted his eyes at her.  
"That swede was blo- wait sorry, I'm not using expletives in the presence of my son." Tom stopped himself from swearing but Sam returned the squint at his comment.  
"Who said it's a boy?" She protested.  
"Well... Not being sexist here but it would be so much more relaxed and chilled to raise a boy than it would be to raise a girl." Tom explained. "Not to mention a lot cheaper." He added.

"You can't say you're not sexist and then say something like that! It's like saying, oh I'm an atheist and I believe in god." Sam mocked him as she opened her car door.  
"What? So you want a girl?" He asked to change the subject.  
"I wouldn't mind either gender." Sam shrugged her shoulders.  
"Oh c'mon, you've got to prefer one or the other. Even if it's by a tiny bit."  
"Well, if all men are like you, I'd prefer a daughter." Sam stated cheekily as she pulled her seatbelt on.  
"I knew it!"  
"Knew what?"  
"You want a girl. I saw that little smile Sam, you want a girl." Tom concluded.  
"So? Wouldn't you want a daddy's girls rather than a mummy's boy?" Sam asked curiously.

* * *

**8:30pm**  
Tom and Sam were laid in bed after having their satisfying meal and desert, and it wasn't until he saw Sam's empty bowl almost tip over that he realised she was asleep. He gently took her bowl off of her, and then pulled the duvet over her properly up to her chin. He flicked the bedroom light off, and then headed to the kitchen because he wasn't tired enough to go to sleep just yet. After cleaning away everything from dinner, he sat down at the breakfast bar with a notepad and a pen to make a shopping list because he had rustled up their dinner from what they had in the cupboards and they needed to do a big shop.

Once he had made the list of essentials like milk, bread, fruit and veg etc, he thought about some of the early pregnancy symptoms that Sam could face, and he wanted to be prepared for every eventuality. So, he added a few different types and flavours of crackers to the lists should Sam suffer from morning sickness, along with Gaviscon for heartburn, paracetamol for headaches etcetera etcetera. It had barely reached nine by the time he had finished the list, and he didn't want to go to bed yet, so he decided on ordering the shopping online and getting it delivered to save them some time. Once finished, he switched the kitchen light off, and snuck into their bedroom -without turning the light on in case it woke Sam. He slowly slipped under the covers and decided against wrapping his arms around her just in case he woke her up, so he got comfortable before he soon fell into a deep slumber.

Little did Sam and Tom know, that something _extremely_ rare - in fact, it would be the first case not caused by medical intervention, ever - would arise from Sam's pregnancy, yet whether it was a good or bad thing, depended on the couple's point of view.

**Thanks for reading, and I bet no one can guess what the 'something _extremely_ rare' is going to be! Please leave a review and let me know if there are still any Tam fans out there :) Also, I'm open to any constructive criticism for improvements :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**6:30am**  
Tom rolled over and smacked his alarm to turn it off. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see his wife, who was six weeks pregnant, besides him in the bed however her side of the bed was empty. He then recognised the sound of running water so she must've been in the ensuite shower, however the splashing of water only made him need the toilet so he stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom - usually, he'd use the bathroom when she was in the shower or even brushing her teeth because he didn't care, but she'd never do that because she wasn't as cocky as him.

He entered the bright room to see her enclosed in the steamy cabinet lathering her body with body wash, however as soon as he she noticed him she turned around so that her chest was under the stream of water and her back was facing her husband.  
"Morning." He smiled as he pulled his boxers down and began to relieve himself in the toilet.  
"Morning." Sam replied briefly as she wrapped her arms around her chest and abdomen in case he could see around the sides.  
"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.  
"Um, I'm just about to get out." Sam lied. She was going to spend a little more time relaxing under the warm water that soothed her tensed muscles however, she did not want him to see her lower abdomen because she had already gotten a bump at just six weeks gone and she knew that he would just tell her that she looked beautiful no matter what.

"Oh okay." Tom replied as he tried to hide his disappointment. Just as he was flushing the toilet, he noticed that the bathroom scales had been pulled out. Combined with her facing away from him and the fact that she must've weighed herself, he assumed that she must've gained some weight already so he was determined to compliment her and make her feel better about herself all day. But would it be as easy as it sounds?

* * *

Sam was driving to work with her husband as her passenger, and although Tom had promised himself he'd make her feel better about himself, he couldn't help but notice how quiet she had been.  
"You alright? You're looking a little queasy." Tom pointed out cautiously as Sam kept her focus on the road. Admittedly, she looked almost normal in the car, however she had looked dreadful before she put a layer of foundation and concealer on to hide the small shadows under her eyes.  
"Morning sickness." Sam muttered.  
"Wh- Is this the first time?" He asked and Sam nodded. "Do you not want to stay at home and come in a bit later?" He suggested kindly.  
"It's just nausea, no vomiting. I'll be fine." Sam replied.

* * *

Tom was discretely keeping an eye on Sam who had just picked up her next patient's file at the nurses station in the middle of cubicles when Zoe approached her.  
"Sam, there's a pile up on the motorway with an estimated 7 cars involved with entrapments and they're requesting a doctor at the scene." Zoe stated.  
"Thanks Zoe but... It's not really a great time of month..." Sam lied awkwardly and she knew she would be believed because her colleague had noticed her quiet behaviour all morning. Even if morning sickness wasn't plaguing her, she wouldn't go anyway because this was her first chance at having a baby and she didn't want to mess it up so early on by taking an unneeded risk.  
"Oh right." Zoe placed her hand sympathetically on Sam's upper arm.  
"I'll go." Tom offered.  
"Right, okay. Jeff and Dixie are waiting by reception, and you can get changed in the ambulance alright?"  
"Fine with me." Tom smiled and Zoe quickly disappeared into a cubicle. "You're glowing." Tom whispered to Sam before he ran off for the emergency. Sam couldn't help but smile to herself at the thought that she didn't look as awful as she felt.

"What's that little smile for?" Fletch asked cheekily as he grabbed a pen from the nurses station. "Wait, let me guess. You were thinking of how lucky you are to have a best friend like me." Fletch said smugly and Sam's smile widened at his cockiness. "I'm going on a break, wanna come and get a coffee with me?" He asked. Sam considered it but she knew the risks of too much caffeine, especially in the first trimester.  
"Um, I've just had a coffee." She lied. "But I could do with a cold drink." Sam smiled as she knew that a bottle of cold water would surely give her some relief of an uncomfortable stomach. She didn't feel as though she was going to be sick, there was just a dull constant feeling of nausea inside her.  
"Sounds wonderful Mrs Kent." Fletch smirked as he linked arms with Sam and they left the ward to go to the café.

* * *

It had been two hours since Tom had left for the emergency and the majority of the casualties had been treated for minor injuries, or stabilised and sent up to the wards. All except the containments of one car whom Tom had stayed behind to treat. Sam had just entered reception when a trolley was wheeled in by Dixie and Iain, followed closely by Tom with a bundle of blankets in his arms. He had a long scratch on his forehead which was obviously superficial and had bled a lot, causing him to be covered in congealed blood.  
"What happened?" Sam demanded.  
"What? Oh nothing, I'm fine honestly. Want some practice?" Tom whispered to Sam as they entered resus whilst he gestured the sleepy baby. They transferred the unconscious patient over onto the bed and explained to Zoe what his injuries were whilst Tom and Sam stood at the end of the bed with the woman's daughter who couldn't have been more than a few months old.

"That poor baby had been crying non stop for the past hour while she was trapped in the car, and as soon as she was in Tom's arms, she zipped it." Dixie smirked as she handed Robyn the woman's belongings. "He's a natural Sam." She stated.  
"He only gets on with kids because he's a big kid." Sam joked as the paramedics left.

"Zoe, this is Anna March's husband." Louise announced as she entered the room with a very worried man.  
"Ella?" He queried as he suddenly saw the baby in Tom's arms.  
"Are you Mark?" Tom asked.  
"Yes, Anna's wife. That's my daughter, please tell me she's okay." He begged.  
"She's fine, I've checked her over and no harm done." Tom smiled as he handed the little baby over.  
"And what about Anna?" The husband asked.  
"Tom, you need to go and get checked over." Zoe ordered as Robyn began explaining to the man.  
"I'll do it." Sam stated quickly and Zoe nodded so the couple went out into cubicles.

* * *

Sam pulled the curtain around after getting an equipment trolley and she sat down on the stool in front of Tom, accidentally entwining their legs together.  
"Right, I'm guessing this cut was caused by a metal part of a car." Sam began as she prepared the equipment and Tom nodded. "When was your last tetanus?"  
"I can't remember so I'll need a jab." Tom stated. "I'm assuming you're feeling better now."  
"Much, thanks." Sam nodded as she got a swab and began to wipe the dried blood off of Tom's face.  
"I have got another injury by the way. You'll have to kiss it better tonight." He winked.  
"I do hope you mean your lips." Sam stated sheepishly as she turned his head to get a better view of the injury before she continued wiping away the remaining blood. "So, how'd you enjoy stealing my job?" She asked.  
"What?" Tom laughed confusedly.  
"I'm usually the one who goes out on emergencies but I suppose that'll have to be your job from now on." Sam explained and Tom couldn't help but notice the tone of disappointment in her voice.

"It'll all be worth it in the end." Tom smiled and Sam forced a smile in agreement. "I meant what I said y'know, you're glowing."  
"Well I don't feel glowing." Sam muttered.  
"Tell you what would make you feel a bit better. How about a night in, me and you watch a movie and we could get a takeaway." He suggested.  
"No. No takeaways now, only on the odd occasion when I really want one." Sam stated.  
"Okay then, how about I make us a spaghetti carbonara with plenty of mushrooms?" He asked.  
"Sounds a bit complex for you."  
"Oi, never doubt my cooking skills, I can cook when I can be bothered to." Tom protested as he watched Sam in doctor mode. "I think we should tell Zoe." He admitted. "I mean, she's not gonna fall for 'wrong time of month' every time there's an emergency is she? And, I'm sure she won't tell anyone else." Tom explained.  
"Mm, I was thinking about telling her too... We'll tell her after our shifts yeah?"  
"It's a date." Tom smiled and Sam shook her head at his ability to always cheer her up. "How am I looking?" He asked as Sam tended to his injury.

"Fine. This scratch is so shallow that it's barely broken the first layer of skin." Sam stated.  
"Well it's a good job I'm so brave isn't it?"  
"I'm going to go and get the tetanus jab, if you're so brave you won't want me to get you any paracetamol will you?"  
"Well, now that you mention it, it is starting to hurt a bit." Tom lied, his forehead was throbbing yet Sam had told him it was just a scratch, it didn't even require a plaster let alone stitches so he didn't want to seem like a wimp.  
"So you _do_ want some paracetamol then." Sam concluded.  
"If possible yes." Tom replied feebly. Sam smirked before she headed off to the store room.

* * *

**5pm**  
"Come in." Zoe called after hearing a knock at her office door. Sam and Tom swiftly entered in their own clothes and closed the door behind them. "Ah Tom, excellent work with the baby today. How's the head?" She asked. She could see a faint red line, about two inches across his forehead where it was already beginning to heal, but it had looked far worse earlier.  
"Nothing a couple of paracetamol, a jab and a friendly doctor couldn't fix." Tom replied as he glanced at Sam.  
"Glad to hear it. So what can I do for you?" Zoe asked. They had already agreed that Tom was going to tell Zoe, it was what Sam wanted so she hung her head a little.  
"Um, we just wanted to let you know something that, _could_ affect Sam's work sometimes." Tom explained carefully.  
"Right." Zoe prompted for him to continue, though she had an inkling as to where this was going considering the pair had gotten married a month ago.  
"Sam's pregnant, six weeks." Tom smiled.  
"Congratulations!" Zoe smiled. "Oh, so _that's_ why you didn't go on the emergency earlier." She suddenly realised and Sam nodded. "Okay, no more emergencies for you then. Have you thought about maternity leave yet or..." Zoe asked.

"We haven't discussed that yet." Sam stated.  
"Right, okay. Well just so you know, maximum maternity leave would start 11 weeks before the baby is due, and you can take off 52 weeks maternity leave in total. But minimum maternity leave would start on the Sunday before your due date, and you'd have to take two weeks off after the birth." Zoe explained.  
"Okay." Tom nodded before he noticed that Sam was yawning. "Right, I'd better get this one home." He smirked as he placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly spun her around to face the exit.  
"Yep, thanks for letting me know." Zoe smiled.  
"Oh, and don't tell anyone else yet." Tom added.  
"Of course. Have a good night." She smiled as the couple left.

* * *

Sam and Tom were sitting eating their dinner whilst watching a movie, but he knew she wasn't really paying attention to it so he decided to make conversation.  
"I saw you had the scales out this morning." He stated. "You're worried about gaining weight aren't you?" He asked softly because he knew his much so loved to focus on her health and fitness. But to her, the baby was more important so Sam had avoided going for long runs in recent weeks, instead favouring for extra long walks or the occasional jog.

"No I... Well I've already got a bump and... I just, I don't know how long we can keep it from other people. I want to announce it before people start gossiping about me, but I don't want to announce it just yet." Sam explained as she placed her empty dinner bowl on the small table in front of her.  
"I bet you haven't got a bump, you're just thinking that."  
"I have!" Sam protested.

"Go on then, let me see." Tom ordered hopefully.  
"But you're just gonna say I look fine because that's what men're supposed to do." Sam argued.  
"I won't. Honestly, I'll tell you the truth about what I see. Scouts honour." Tom said as he did some odd gesture with his hands.  
"You don't even know scouts honour." Sam stated.  
"No but if I did, I'd do it." Tom grinned. "C'mon, please?"

Sam huffed before she stood up, and lifted her top up to just under her bra. Tom looked at her beautiful figure, and where he knew that her abdomen usually caved in a little between her hips, he saw a little bump protruding out and he smiled profusely.  
"I have to admit there is a _tiny_ bump. But that's our baby growing, not you." Tom said softly as he reached up and pulled Sam onto his lap. He brought both of their legs up on the sofa so she was sitting on his lap, and leaning against his torso in a spooning position only she was on of top of him.

"Don't you think it's a bit early for six weeks? I mean, I've seen pictures of my mum when she was pregnant full term with me and she was tiny." Sam asked.  
"Well, every woman is different I suppose. And six weeks isn't that early. I was looking it up, our baby is the size of a lentil, but your uterus is the size of a large orange. And, it also said that some women can feel their uterus at six weeks." Tom explained as he snaked his hands around Sam's hips but she stopped him before he reached her abdomen.  
"Don't, I'm bloated, you won't be able to feel a thing." Sam said quietly, but she rolled her eyes as Tom still slipped his arms around her and rested his hands on her navel. "You're so annoying sometimes y'know that?" She sighed.  
"You love me really." He smiled cheekily. "Now, I was thinking about names earlier. And I was thinking Tom junior for a boy, and Sam junior for a girl." He joked.

"Haha." Sam said sarcastically as she placed her hands on top of his.  
"What Zoe said about maternity leave, how long were you thinking of? Because it's completely up to you." Tom asked curiously.  
"I'm not sure. I mean, I've looked up the maternity package pay and it's awful but when I leave will depend on how the pregnancy goes I suppose. I don't want to say I'll leave just before my due date and then find that I'm absolutely knackered." She explained.  
"I was thinking, what would you say about me walking around the ED, with a baby sling on, or a carrier, so I could multitask?" He smirked and Sam burst out laughing at the thought. "What!?" He protested.  
"I can just imagine you doing that, that's the thing." She laughed. "Right, I need a wee." She announced as she carefully got off of Tom with some assistance.

"Oh here we go, once it's started you'll never stop." Tom proclaimed.  
"Stop what?"  
"Going to the toilet." Tom smirked and Sam squinted her eyes at him, before she left the room to go to the bathroom.

**Please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**7am**  
At 8 weeks pregnant, Sam was sitting at the breakfast bar in their open plan kitchen eating a bowl of fruit when Tom entered with just a towel wrapped around his waist. She watched as his eyes fell straight upon her abdomen which she was sure was growing because, in Tom's words, she had a 'perfectly rounded bump'. It was only small, but because she was wearing a tight white vest, it was obvious.  
"I don't think I'm gonna be able to hide it much longer." Sam admitted. "My scrubs pretty much give it away."  
"I think it's just because you're skinny that you're showing so much." Tom stated as he put two slices of bread in the toaster for his breakfast.  
"It's not just physically... I _want_ to tell people as well."  
"Well then, why don't we tell people?"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, I want to tell people too, I just thought I'd let you decide when you want to tell people. Tell you what, why don't we stop at tescos on the way to work and get some cakes to put in the staffroom and we'll tell everyone this morning?" He suggested as he got the butter out of the fridge.  
"Okay." Sam nodded. "But you'll have to stop me from eating them all." She added.  
"You hardly have to worry, you're already eating all of the right things so you can enjoy a treat." He stated. "Are you not feeling sick this morning?" He queried because almost every single morning for the last two weeks she had been nauseous, however considering she was sitting there with a bowl of fruit, he guessed otherwise.

"Nope. Thank god." Sam said happily as she put a cube of melon in her mouth. "Oh and um, can I tell fletch before everyone else?" She asked.  
"Yeah sure. Tell him he can be uncle fletch if he wants." Tom smiled.  
"Seriously?"  
"Yeah. Our baby isn't going to have a real aunt or uncle because we don't have siblings so I'm sure Fletch will be appreciated." Tom nodded. Sam got up off of her seat and then wrapped her arms around him as she buried her head in his chest.  
"Thank you." She mumbled.  
"No worries. Now- ooh, my toast is done!" He smiled as he pulled away from Sam and began to butter his toast, leaving Sam with a grumpy face because she had been enjoying the hug.

* * *

**8am**  
Sam and Tom arrived in the busy staff room with two carrier bags filled with donuts, cakes and chocolates because they knew that sweet treats always accompanied good news in the staff room such as a birthday or promotion - is was an unwritten rule.  
"Wahey! What's the occasion?" Fletch asked cheerily as he leant against the counter with his cup of coffee.  
"Fletch, can I have a word quickly?" Sam asked as everyone's attention had been drawn to their arrival.  
"Yeah sure." Fletch nodded as he put his mug down and then followed Sam outside of the staff room to an empty corridor. "What's up?" He asked.  
"I just wanted to tell you before the others that... I'm pregnant." Sam smiled shyly.  
"Wh- wow! Congratulations!" Fletch beamed as he wrapped his arms around her. After a few seconds he pulled away because he was sure he could feel something that had not previously been there when he had hugged her before. "How far gone are you?" He asked curiously.  
"Eight weeks." Sam admitted as she unzipped her hoodie to show him her small bump through her tight white vest top.

"Only eight!" He laughed.  
"Yeah, thanks for that." Sam muttered as she zipped her hoodie back up.  
"No, sorry I-"  
"It's fine, Fletch." Sam sighed as she folded her arms across her chest. "Right, I'd better get back."  
"No, come here. I haven't had a proper hug yet." Fletch pulled Sam back and gave her no choice as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sam and Fletch entered the staff room where Zoe, Max, Noel, Louise, Robyn, Jamie, Rita, Charlie, Tess, Ash, Ethan, Cal, Lily, Lofty and Tom were standing with cups of tea or glasses of orange juice, while the bags of treats sat on the breakfast bar being eyed up by most people in the room. Sam joined Tom where everyone was looking at them, and Fletch joined the crowd whilst the couple grabbed each other's hand for support.  
"We're having a baby." Tom stated simply.  
"Oh my god!" Robyn squealed first as she ran up and hugged Sam. Sam awkwardly raised her hands and patted her on the back before the nurse released her. Everyone gave a round of applause as Sam backed into Tom as he wrapped his arms around her and put his hands on her stomach.  
"How far gone are you?" Max asked bluntly.  
"Depends. How far do you think I am?" Sam raised an eyebrow as she stepped forward and waited for him to guess. Max began to panic because he knew how hormonal pregnant women could be and he didn't want to upset her, but Tom quickly held up seven fingers up behind her so that she didn't see.  
"Um... 'Bout seven weeks... Give or take?" Max said innocently.

"I'm eight weeks." Sam stated. "And Tom, I know you just held your fingers up; I have eyes in the back of my head." Sam added causing the crowd to smirk.  
"Right, who wants cake?" Tom announced to change the subject as he went over to the bag and everyone began crowding around his to get a sugar fix for the day. After everyone had congratulated the couple and gotten their treat, Zoe ordered everyone to get to work so it was just Sam and Tom left in the staffroom. "I managed to save us these." Tom smiled as he held a packet of two cookie and cream cupcakes.  
"Thanks. Can you save mine? and I'll have it at lunch." Sam asked as she began to get changed.  
"Sure." Tom nodded as he put the packet in his locker and then wrapped his stethoscope around his neck.  
"I need to go shopping at the weekend by the way." She stated as she wrapped her ponytail into a tight bun.  
"What for?" Tom queried.  
"None of your business." Sam replied sheepishly.  
"Is it... New underwear?" Tom queried.  
"Sort of."  
"New bras?"  
"And bingo, he gets it in two." Sam said jokily as she shut her locker.  
"Why do you need more? You've got loads." Tom laughed.  
"Because my ones are getting tight." Sam stated.  
"Aha, the joys of pregnancy." Tom smiled. "I'll come with you, just to make sure you don't go spending too much money." Tom smiled cheekily.  
"In your dreams." Sam sighed as she left the room with her husband in tow.

* * *

"Y'know, there are quite a lot of benefits to being pregnant." Sam aired a thought out loud as Tom and fletch approached her.  
"What? Aside from having a baby?" Fletch asked sarcastically.  
"Well I'm generally kept away from patients with vomiting or diarrhoea by everyone, and Zoe won't let me anywhere near any drunks so I actually get some interesting cases." Sam explained.  
"Yeah, meanwhile I've had to deal with all the puking, dirty bastar-" Tom began before being interrupted.  
"Tom, this is Daniel Holmes." Jeff announced as he entered with a patient on a trolley so Tom had to leave his wife and follow the bed into a cubicle. "He's er, caught himself in his zip, there was a little bit of blood as far as I could see, but he's not letting anyone examine him." Jeff explained.  
"I'm telling you now, I am not having a bloke treat me." Daniel stated angrily.  
"You'll have who you're given I'm afraid." Jeff huffed.  
"Her, how about her? I want her." Daniel stated as Sam walked past the cubicle. She stopped and looked at the patient who had a blanket over his lower half with just Jeff and Tom in the cubicle.  
"Sam, could you?" Tom asked as the paramedic left for his next emergency that would hopefully involve a politer patient.  
"Sure." Sam forced a smile as she entered the cubicle. "What's the problem then?" She asked.  
"I've caught me bloody foreskin in me zip love, wouldn't kiss it better would you?" He said rather loudly which prompted Tom to step in front of Sam to protect her.  
"Mr Holmes, you either remain respectful to all members of staff, or you'll have to leave the premises without treatment." Tom threatened calmly.  
"Well I'm not letting her 'ave a look, when you're here. Mate, c'mon I've gotta have some privacy." The man whined.  
"Right, any trouble, I'll be outside." Tom whispered to Sam before he reluctantly left and pulled the curtain across the cubicle.  
"Right," Sam began as she pulled on a pair of gloves.

* * *

"Where're you going?" Tom asked as Sam emerged from the cubicle ten minutes later with a disgusted look on her face.  
"Toilets to wash my hands - he's got gonorrhoea and he had like this yellowy-green discharge." Sam grimaced as she rubbed her hands together.  
"You did have gloves on right?"  
"Yeah but you know what the gloves are like, it still feels like your hands are wet when they're not." Sam stated.  
"Did he know he had it?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Nope, he thought it was just something that would go away." Sam stated. "I'll be back soon." She added before she entered the female toilets so that she could scrub her hands and lower arms because even thought she knew they weren't truly as dirty as she thought they were, she just didn't like the idea of touching a person's genitals when they had an STI.

**Thanks for reading. Coming up is a bit of fluff when Sam and Tom go shopping. Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**8am**

It was Saturday morning and Sam and Tom were going to Bluewater shopping centre because they both needed some new clothes and Sam wanted to get a few bits like a new handbag and some comfortable shoes. She was then nine weeks and Tom watched as she couldn't button up her skinny jeans at the top because of her ever growing bump. It was a two hour drive away, but they had all day free and they knew it would be worth going to a larger shopping centre than the usually Holby one because it was bigger and had a better variety of shops.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Tom asked. "Try wearing leggings for today and we'll get you some new jeans while we're out. Besides, jeans won't be very comfortable to sit in the car in will they. You're better off wearing leggings." Tom stated.  
"But you're wearing jeans." Sam stated.  
"But I'm not pregnant." Tom stated and Sam rolled her eyes as she pulled her jeans down and kicked them off before she yanked a pair of leggings off of it's hanger from the wardrobe.

A little while later, both had had breakfast and were ready to go.  
"Right, do you want to go to the toilet before we leave?" Tom asked as he pulled his coat on.  
"I'm not a ten year old Tom." Sam stated as she pulled her long straight hair out from her jumper.  
"Of course not." Tom huffed before he opened the front door for the two of them to go, however Sam regretted her statement because she actually did need the toilet, she just didn't like being told what to do. She knew it was due to increased blood volume in her body and so her kidneys were producing more urine as they filtered more blood, however she couldn't wait until the second trimester where hopefully, it would settle until the baby began to push down on her bladder months later.

* * *

Just half an hour into the journey, Sam really needed to go, but she didn't want to admit it to Tom.  
"Why don't you have a little nap?" Tom suggested.  
"Nah, I can't sleep in cars." Sam stated as she crossed her legs.  
"Do you want a drink?" Tom asked as he nodded to the bottle of water besides him in the drinks holder as a test because he was sure she was in need of a restroom stop.  
"No." Sam stated briefly.  
"Do, you want to stop and stretch your legs?" He queried.  
"No."  
"Do you want to stop for a tinkle?" Tom smirked and Sam folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "Is that a yes?" He asked but she didn't reply. "I'll take that as a yes." He concluded as he pulled into the first lane ready to go to the services.

* * *

As Sam came out of the toilets, she saw Tom who was sitting on a bench waiting for her.  
"You're in one of 'them' moods aren't you?" He said softly as he pulled her into a hug.  
"I don't know what one of 'them' moods is." Sam mumbled into his chest.  
"No, neither do I." Tom admitted and they both laughed a little. "Look, there's a big mothercare at Bluewater so why don't we have a look at the baby stuff, maybe get a couple of bits?" He suggested as he tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear. "And, guess where we're going for lunch?"  
"Where?" Sam asked curiously.  
"Go on, guess. Where's your favourite place to eat out?" He asked.  
"Pizza express." Sam stated.  
"Aha, I saw that little smile." Tom smirked as he held hands with her and began to walk out to the car.

* * *

Sam and Tom had just entered the shopping centre from the car park when Sam noticed a Boots shop.  
"I just need to get a few bits in here." Sam stated.  
"Okay."  
"No, you can stay out here. Sit down on the bench, I won't be long." Sam forced a smile and he got the message so he let her go alone.  
"Right, I'll be here then." He stated as he sat down and watched his wife walk away into the shop. Sam grabbed a basket because she wanted to get quite a lot - places like Boots did a lot more toiletries and hair and beauty products than tescos did so she often ended up spending quite a lot in there. First, she grabbed a bottle of water for her and a bottle of Pepsi zero for Tom because she knew they'd get thirsty at some point or another. Then she made her way to the hair products where she got a few conditioner and hot oil treatments that she used on a weekly basis, along with some new hair bands and clips before she went over to the feminine toiletries aisle.

After checking that no one was watching her, she picked up two boxes of panty liners for the disgusting pregnancy symptom known as discharge, before she headed over to the make up to get a decent concealer because the increase in hormones was causing her to have slightly greasy skin which was causing the odd spot or two to pop up now and then.

* * *

Sam was in a cubicle, trying on plenty of clothes in the empty changing rooms in New Look which we thankfully unattended so they weren't being bothered whilst Tom sat on a bench outside and he told Sam what he thought every time she came out in new clothes. Sam came out in a pair of jeans which were one size bigger than her usual size, and she glared at Tom because she couldn't do the button up at the top.  
"It's not my fault!" He protested. Sam came out further and looked in a long mirror before she looked at Tom with lust in his reflection. "What?" He asked innocently and Sam just looked around the room wondering if they would be able to get away with it. "What?" He repeated.  
"How about me and you..." Sam suggested as she nodded to the cubicle.  
"What? Are you being serious?" He asked and Sam nodded as she bit her lips. "You do realise that this is your hormones-" he began but Sam grabbed a fistful of his shirt and dragged him into the cubicle before she locked the door. "Sam there's hardly enough room is there?" Tom protested because he felt a little uneasy about making love in a small room with no more than a small bench that wasn't even long enough to lie down on.

But Sam pushed him down onto the bench so that he was sitting there as she sat on his lap with her legs straddled around him before she brushed his lips with hers. "You sure you're not gonna regret this?" He whispered as they pressed their foreheads against each other and looked lovingly into the other's eyes. Sam just closed her eyes and devotedly kissed her husband as she began to undo his belt...

* * *

Just four minutes later, completely naked with their clothes scattered on the floor, Tom was sat on the bench with Sam still straddled on too of him. She had her head tucked under his chin and she listened to her husband's heartbeat as she slowly recovered from their short, energy consuming session. He could feel that she was slightly sweaty as her skin fixed to his, but he sat there and slowly rubbed her back because he knew she was all tired out. Sam's bump was resting on Tom's abdomen which they both found romantic as the small family were all together.

But suddenly, the silent tranquility was broken as there was a knock at the door making the couple jump slightly.  
"Yes?" Sam replied hesitantly because she knew that the action that they had just performed was actually illegal, only it had been her hormones leading her before, not her brain.  
"Are you okay in there madam? You've been quite some time." A female voice called.  
"Yes thanks... I just want to make sure everything fits properly." Sam lied after letting out a sigh of relief whilst Tom remained silent as he kept one arm around Sam's bum, stopping her from sliding off of him and the other arm around her bare back for support. "I won't be much longer." She added.  
"Okay, well give me a shout if you need any assistance, I'm happy to help." The woman said cheerily before they heard her exit the changing rooms as the door clicked shut.  
"Jesus Christ that was close." Tom muttered.  
"Mm. But it was worth it." Sam added as she reached up and pecked Tom on the cheek.

"Of course, and by the way, I know what you mean about needing bigger bras." Tom smirked as her looked down at her chest.  
"C'mon, we'd better hurry up." Sam stated as she carefully got off of him and to her own feet as she began to get her clothes back on.

* * *

"I'm just saying, don't you think spending £60 on four bras that will probably be too small for you in a few months is a bit too much?" Tom protested as they left the shop where Tom had watched Sam try on several different sizes before she got the right ones - she had already gone up a full cup size and that was before her milk had come in.  
"Are you saying I'm not worth it?" Sam asked as she walked freely, carrying her tired little legs whilst her husband carried the boots bag and two New Look bags along with plenty more bags of new clothes that Sam had gotten. Suddenly, Sam glanced up and caught eye of the fairly large mothercare store in front of her.  
"You wanna take a look?" Tom asked.  
"I um... I..." Sam stuttered as she suddenly became nervous at the thought of having to buy everything for a little baby who would rely on her and her husband 24/7.  
"Come on, as long as you don't buy the entire store." Tom smirked as he put all of the shopping bags into one hand so that he could take his wife's hand for support and then headed into the store. He first took her over to the maternity section to gently ease her into the store becuase he knew she'd be more comfortable buying products for herself than the baby. "Hey, how about these?" Tom suggested as he picked up a pack of two bump bands that were designed to give a little extra support and warmth as they fitted completely around the bump and back. Sam took the pack from him and looked at them without actually knowing what she was looking for. "Ooh ooh ooh we have to get this!" Tom stated as he picked up a fluffy light brown teddy bear with a brown bow under it's chin.

Sam smiled because her husband was being far too excited over something that in her opinion didn't need to be done yet because she was only nine weeks pregnant. However, she agreed to the bump bands, and the toy and they soon ended up wandering around the cots where there were some cots to put up to see them.  
"Now here's a tough question: will the cot be on your side of the bed, or my side?" Tom asked.  
"Mine." Sam stated firmly. "But, don't you think we should move to somewhere bigger? I mean, sure it'll be exhausting doing it while I'm pregnant but it'll be even harder when our baby's here because it'll just unsettle them." Sam stated.  
"What, like to a bigger flat? Or a house?" Tom queried.  
"I'm not sure." Sam admitted. "We'll have to look at prices first." She stated.

* * *

**8pm**  
Tom was just driving into the car park by their flat in the dark because it was only late February and the evenings were only just beginning to get lighter.  
"So much for 'I can't sleep in cars'!" Tom muttered to himself quietly because Sam was fast asleep in the passages seat with her hood up to keep her warm. He gently brought the car to a stop and unbuckled his seatbelt. After deciding that they didn't have any shopping that needed to be refrigerated so he could leave it in there until the next morning, he went around and opened Sam's door because he was going to carry her up to their flat; he didn't have the heart to wake her.

He reached across and undone her seatbelt before he carefully manoeuvred her so that -like earlier- she had her legs straddled around his waist and her chest leaning against his torso, only this time she had her head resting limply on his chest. He was balancing her on his hip, almost like he would do to a child.  
"Wh... Tom?" Sam queried sleepily and Tom stopped moving as he used his spare hand that wasn't supporting her weight up and stroked her hair.  
"Sshh, sshhhh, it's alright, we're nearly home." Tom whispered and it settled her once more so she closed her eyes after she'd wrapped her arms around his neck. He quietly shut the car door, locked it and headed back up to their flat.

* * *

He pulled the duvet back with his spare hand in the dark room, before he laid Sam down on her back on the mattress.  
"Tom..." Sam mumbled.  
"Yeah?"  
"Thanks." She whispered happily without closing her eyes and Tom shook his head in disbelief that she was awake -well, partially awake- and that she had just pretended to be asleep so that she didn't have to get up.  
"You're welcome you lazy cow." Tom replied jokily as he dropped his jeans and pulled his shirt off. Once he switched the light off and climbed into bed, he let Sam get into her usual bedtime position: she shuffled closer to him, entwined her legs with his to keep her feet warm during the night and she buried her head in his chest. "Night night." Tom whispered as he pecked the top of her head, before he wrapped his arms around his wife, and settled down for the night.

**Coming up is Sam's first ultrasound at 12 weeks where the 'something _extremely_ rare' will be discovered :) Please review, I love reading them!**


	5. Chapter 5

**5am**

Tom was awoken to his wife sliding out of bed and getting to her feet. He peered through the dark room and watched her as she got ready to go swimming which she had begun to do three times a week instead of her usual running. She had to go rather early becuase then she avoided the times when the pool was busy.

Once she had her bikini on under her clothes, she began brushing her long, thick hair from root to end. She was okay with wearing a bikini because no one she knew went swimming at that time in the morning so she didn't care what others thought about her belly.  
"If you hair gets any thicker because of the pregnancy, it's gonna be weighing you down." Tom joked sleepily.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She apologised as she turned around to see that he had began to sit up in bed.  
"It's alright, don't worry." He smiled.

At just twelve weeks pregnant, Sam was feeling massive, and in reality she actually looked around twenty weeks pregnant, but Tom kept on reassuring her that it was just because she was skinny that she was showing so much, not because she was getting fat.  
"Are you excited?" Tom smiled sleepily becuase he knew that it was finally the day that he would see his baby on an ultrasound machine for the first time.  
"I'm telling you now, it's going to be twins." Sam huffed as she tied her hair back into a ponytail.  
"I must admit, that thought has crossed my mind too." Tom admitted.  
"Right, I'd better get going." Sam stated as she picked up her bag with her towel and the rest of her kit in.  
"Okay, see you soon." Tom smiled as he got comfortable under the duvet again. Sam smiled before she left to go and get some gentle exercise.

* * *

Sam came back from swimming with her wet hair tied back in a messy bun because she preferred to have a shower and get ready at home in her own bathroom.  
"Have a nice swim?" Tom asked as Sam entered the bedroom where he was getting dressed.  
"Yep. Have a nice lie in?" Sam asked and Tom smiled.  
"Right, what do you want for breakfast?" He asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.  
"Ooh, full English and a double expresso." Sam smirked as she untied her hair.  
"And what do you _actually_ want for breakfast?"  
"Um... Strawberry and banana smoothie please."  
"And something solid to go with it." Tom ordered.  
"Er... And a slice of toast?"  
"Coming right up." Tom stated as he headed for the kitchen. Sam quickly got changed whilst Tom made her breakfast before she went to the breakfast bar and sat opposite Tom as she ate her lightly butter slice of toast. "You excited?" Tom asked as he smiled at the thought of seeing the baby for the first time.

"You asked me that earlier." Sam stated.  
"I know but-"  
"But you're excited." Sam stated and Tom nodded.  
"Aren't you?"  
"Yes but I'm not so excited that I can't sit still on my chair." Sam stated as she noticed him fidgeting.

* * *

**10am**  
After getting some time off with Zoe, Sam and Tom were sitting in maternity waiting to be called for their appointment.  
"I reckon we'll be able to see if it's a boy today." Tom stated.  
"Yeah, emphasis on the _if_ becuase it's going to be a girl." Sam stated firmly.  
"Mrs Kent?" Mr T queried and the couple looked up. They greeted the obstetrician before they followed him to his consult room. "Right, just a few quick questions, how have you been feeling in general?" He asked curiously as he opened her file that was very thin - she had almost no medical history other than the odd scratch when she was little.  
"A lot more tired than I thought I'd be." Sam admitted. "And, I didn't think I'd be this big at just twelve weeks." She added as she gestured her large bump.  
"Well, it varies from woman to woman, you'll probably slow down growing soon whereas other woman could start growing faster." Mr T explained. "Okay, any morning sickness?"  
"From about 6 weeks to 8 weeks it was almost every morning but it was mainly just nausea, I only actually vomited two or three times in total." Sam explained.  
"Brilliant." Mr T said as he began writing it all down in Sam's notes. "Right, any dizziness or fainting?" He asked and Sam shook her head. "So judging from the details you gave us last time and the results of your blood and urine test, your due date is roughly, Saturday 6th September." He stated. "Okay then, I don't want to keep you waiting, if you'd like to get on the bed we'll have a look at your baby." Mr T smiled as he stood up.

Tom helped Sam onto the bed and then sat besides her, whilst Mr T ensured the screen was facing him in case of any irregularities, and then he put the lubricating gel on the small transducer probe. Sam rolled up her top and put the provided tissue in the top of her trousers before she settled on the bed and held Tom's hand for support.  
"Right this is going to be a bit cold." Mr T stated as he gently pressed the probe onto her bump and then he moved it around a little before he settled. Neither Sam nor Tom could see the screen so they focused on the consultant's face instead. "Oh my g..." He whispered.  
"What?" Sam asked worriedly. "What is it?" She demanded as she squeezed Tom's hand.  
"It just that um, sorry I know this might seem a little scary but please just relax and I'll be back with a colleague in a minute." Mr T stated as he placed the probe in it's holder and then quickly left the room.  
"Tom?" Sam mumbled.  
"It's gonna be okay." Tom said reassuringly, but he was just as panicked as she was. "C'mon, don't cry, it's okay." Tom pleaded as he placed his spare hand on her thigh. Sam could feel her eyes watering so she looked away from her husband and took a deep breath to try and hold back the tears.  
"Why wouldn't he say what's wrong?" She asked.  
"Maybe he... Maybe he's just not experienced enough so he needs a second opinion." Tom suggested but he knew that it was clearly not the case. A few moments later, Mr T arrived with another obstetrician and they both put a pair of gloves on and approached the ultrasound machine.

"Right Sam, this is Dr Wren. She's just going to take a look okay." Mr T said softly as he sat down on the stool, and got the ultrasound probe on Sam's bump again.  
"Did you say 12 weeks?" She asked.  
"Yes." Mr T stated.  
"Wow, that is extraordinary." Dr Wren whispered and Sam and Tom were frustrated as they sat there with their hearts beating ten to the dozen because they didn't know what was happening. "It's definitely a multiple pregnancy." She stated and Sam and Tom glanced at each other.  
"I told you it was twins!" Sam stated.  
"Um, no Sam, it's not twins." Mr T stated.  
"What? Triplets?" Tom asked confusedly.

"Just hang on a minute." Mr T said as he and the other obstetrician peered at the screen. "How many do you make it?" He asked quietly.  
"Eight." Dr Wren whispered.  
"_Eight_?!" Sam and Tom both shrieked.  
"Yep, I'd agree." Mr T stated as he turned the screen to show the soon-to-be parents the screen showing just many small blob-shaped babies. Mr T slowly moved the probe around to show them the rest of the babies.  
"And you're sure there's eight?" Tom asked.

"Well, it can be difficult because we can't see all eight on one screen because they're too big at this stage, however we'll have to continue performing this scan, and we'll hopefully be more certain of the number at the end of that." Mr T explained.  
"Sam, have you been having any fertility treatments?" Dr Wren asked.  
"What? No, I- we planned this but we didn't plan _this_." Sam protested weakly.  
"Are you sure? Because the odds if naturally conceiving octuplets is infinitesimal. I mean, if this is a natural conception, I think that this will be the first ever naturally conceived set of octuplets to make it past the 12 week mark." Mr T stated.  
"No, I haven't had any treatments, it was just natural." Sam stated as she tried to take the news in.  
"This is just... Unbelievable!" Mr T gasped. "Look, Sam and Tom we'll need to book an MDT meeting which is a-"  
"A Multidisciplinary Team Meeting. Yeah, we know." Tom interrupted. "We're doctors down in the ED." He added.

"So you'll know about the possible complications and risks about a multiple pregnancy such as this." Dr Wren stated and the couple reluctantly nodded.  
"Look, we'll need to discuss this a lot further but all we can do now, is to take some images from this scan, and I'll start to build a case for the meeting." Mr T stated. "This would explain why you've been growing so much, and why you've been so tired." He stated.  
"I um... Just to get this clear, you said eight. Right?" Sam queried.  
"Yes. Octuplets." Mr T confirmed but he then noticed a slight tension between the couple as they avoided eye contact and Sam folded her arms across her chest. "Just sit tight for another ten minutes or so, so that I can get the images and Dr Wren do you want to go and book a MDT meeting?" He asked because he knew that the couple would want the fewest people possible.  
"Yep, sure." She nodded as she left the room.

* * *

**1pm**  
Sam and Tom were finally called into the room but the poor pregnant woman froze at the entrance as she saw a table surrounded by medics, along with a small crowd of extras at the back of the room, eager to listen in on such a rare opportunity.  
"Tom, Sam. Please take a seat." Mr T smiled as he nodded to the only two spare seats at the table near the projector. The couple went in and sat at the table, and Tom entwined his fingers with his wife for support. They had barely spoken since the scan; they just didn't know what to do.

"Right, any questions feel free okay, I'm chairing the meeting and it's nothing too formal." Mr T said quietly to Sam and Tom before he stood up, ready to begin the meeting. "Right, I need to stress to each and every one of you in this room, that you are not to tell anyone about this becuase one, you are restricted by patient confidentiality so you shouldn't anyway, and two, if the press find out about a set of octuplets, who knows what will happen." Mr T explained sternly. "Okay, upon further inspection of the images from Sam's ultrasound, myself, Dr Wren and Dr Lock have all agreed that there are eight foetuses in total. And after searching for any medical records from private clinics, we can confirm that this is the first set of octuplets ever in history that has been conceived naturally. Now there are three placentas, and three amniotic sacs but it is too early to determine the gender, because the genitals of all the babies are swollen."

* * *

"Now finally, we need to discuss with you, Sam and Tom, about selective reduction, or selective abortion. Which would mean us terminating five or six of the foetuses because that would give the remaining babies a much higher chance of survival, and it would reduce the risk on you as the mother." Mr T explained.  
"Can we have time to think about it?" Sam asked.  
"What? No, we don't need time. You can't kill some of them and not the others it's just wrong!" Tom stated as he dropped her hand.  
"Tom, we need to talk about this." Sam stated.  
"What? You're actually considering this! Sam, abortion is murder!" Tom shouted as he stood up, making Sam feel vulnerable at her height disadvantage.  
"So is having eight babies Tom. The percentage of octuples that survive are-"  
"I can't believe you!" Tom laughed as he began to leave the room.

"No. No Tom, don't go. Tom please." Sam pleaded as she chased after him but she quickly became out of breath and had to stop. As she leant against the wall to recover from the short sprint, she realised that she could either go back to the meeting, or she could go home to have some time alone to think. And she certainly knew which one she'd prefer. So she straightened her dark blue hoodie and neatened her hair, before she strode out of the hospital.

* * *

Sam sat on the sofa, in the flat where Tom had not disappeared to - she didn't know where he was. During the meeting, they had told her so many things, most of which she couldn't remember. But one that she could remember was that she had to aim to eat around 300 extra calories per baby, so that meant she had to eat around 4400 calories a day!

She sat on the sofa, nibbling away at a packet of biscuits and she knew that she was just comfort eating becuase she just wanted her husband to engulf her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But instead, her husband -who had vowed to be with her no matter what- wasn't there for her. She put the biscuits down on the table and heaved herself up off of the table before she headed for her bedroom. She missed the smell of Tom's after shave so she crawled into his side of the bed and nuzzled her nose into his pillow, whilst she organised her pillows behind her so that it seemed like he was besides her. At the thought of everything going on with the pregnancy and her husband gone AWOL, she slowly cried herself to sleep, leaving Tom's pillow a damp because of her actions. At 12 weeks she had shed one tear during her pregnancy. Until now...

**Thanks for reading, please leave a review to let me know what you think :) Also, that is actually true that a pregnant mother of octuplets has to eat 4400 calories a day in the second trimester!**


	6. Chapter 6

**9am**

Sam slowly opened her eyes and then closed them again as they stung from crying herself to sleep. She then quickly turned over to see if Tom was on the other side of the bed, but he wasn't. She then checked her bedside clock and realised that it was gone nine and she was supposed to have been into work half an hour ago. She quickly shot out of bed, only the exertion was too much as she found herself feeling dizzy and disorientated. She only just managed to stumble back towards her bed, before she blacked out...

* * *

"Tom..." Sam mumbled sleepily. "Tom..." She repeated as she slowly regained consciousness just seconds after passing out. "Tom? I... I need you..." Sam pleaded as she tried to move but it just took so much effort. She looked down and realised that she was lying on the bed, with her lower legs dangling over the side before she let her head fall back on the mattress as she remembered what had happened...

* * *

**9:30am**  
Sam was just pulling her scrub top over her head, when she realised that it was much tighter than the day before. Maybe it was because she was feeling bloated, but there was no way she could walk around in a shirt that was that tight on her large 12 week bump without feeling uncomfortable or self conscious. And she didn't have any bigger scrubs and she knew that she'd have to put in a request with HR before she could start getting maternity sized ones so she pulled the shirt over her head and then booted the bottom of the lockers as hard as she could creating a loud bang.

"Oi, what you doing?" Fletch asked as he ran into the the staff room and held Sam back from doing it again. However, she was only in her bra and scrub bottoms so she remained facing away from him and put on arm across her chest and the other across her bump out of self consciousness. He looked down and saw her scrub shirt thrown on the floor, and understood. "Do you want to borrow one of mine? It's a medium." Fletch asked and Sam shook her head. She didn't want to wear turquoise trousers and a bright blue top; she'd look stupid. "How about one of Tom's?" He suggested. "It'll probably be too big but... Look Sam, have you and Tom had a argument?" Fletch asked softly.

"Why? What has he said?" Sam demanded as he she pulled her blue NHS hoodie on over her bra to cover up. She only just managed to zip it up because it was usually quite baggy.  
"Nothing. It's just that I know you're in a mood, he's already working and you're an hour late." Fletch explained.  
"Does Zoe know I'm late?" Sam asked.  
"Yes, but thanks to yours truly, she thinks you've got morning sickness." Fletch stated smugly.  
"Thanks."  
"So c'mon, stop changing the subject, what did you and Tom argue about?" He asked.  
"Promise you won't tell anyone."  
"I promise." Fletch stated as he closed the staff room door to stop any eavesdroppers.  
"There's a reason I'm growing do big." Sam stated.  
"What? Twins?" Fletch queried.  
"Try again."  
"Triplets?"  
"Keep going."  
"Not quadruplets?"  
"Double it."  
"What?"  
"What's two times four?" Sam huffed.  
"No way are you... Eight?!"  
"Mmhmm." Sam mumbled.  
"Okay I know you're an overachiever but isn't this a bit much!" Fletch laughed.  
"I didn't meant too!" Sam protested innocently.

"Well congrats." Fletch smiled. "So what were you arguing about specifically?"  
"Selective abortion." Sam admitted quietly. "I wasn't sure because if five or six were terminated, the remaining ones would have such a higher chance to survive. I mean in history, there's only been one set of octuplets in history where all eight have survived. But Tom was a definite no... And... Well, he didn't come home last night." Sam explained.

"Oh Sam-"  
"Don't." She ordered; she didn't want, or need, his sympathy.  
"Well why don't I go and see Zoe for you? I'm sure she's got some spare scrubs for you to wear for today and I'll ask her to put an order in for some more for you." Fletch suggested.  
"Fine. But don't tell Tom I'm in here please. I still need time to think."  
"I won't, and I'll be back soon." Fletch smiled before he left the room.

* * *

**4:45pm**  
It was nearly the end of Sam's shift and she had managed to avoid Tom all day. Not that she should have been avoiding him considering that he was her husband. Thankfully, Zoe had given Sam some scrubs that fitted but they were still pretty tight on her bump. She was absolutely exhausted and had been told by Zoe to deal with just one last patient before she could leave a little early so she was standing besides his bed with an unimpressed look on her face.  
"All I'm saying Mr Tomlinson is that your weight is only making your condition worse and it's putting an added strain on your heart." Sam stated.

"You're telling _me_ to loose weight!" He protested. "You wanna try looking a bit closer to home love!" He shouted as he pointed to her enlarged stomach - was it really not obvious that she was pregnant, and that she instead looked overweight, or even obese?  
"Um, excuse me. You cannot talk to a member of staff like that." Tom stated as he came over from the nurses station.  
"For gods sake! I don't need you to stick up for me." Sam shouted before she quickly walked to the staff room and slammed the door behind her. She was just beginning to calm down after a minute or two alone, when Tom entered.

"Sam, ignore him. He's not worth getting upset over." Tom said.  
"It's not him." Sam scowled.  
"Then what's wrong?" He asked.

"You Tom!" Sam laughed out of disbelief that he could be so ignorant. "I cried myself to sleep last night and I fainted this morning Tom! You weren't even there when I woke up and I didn't know where I was, I didn't know where you was and I needed you!" Sam shouted.  
"You fainted? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly as he tried to put a comforting hand on her back but she shrugged him off.  
"I'm fine." She muttered.

"Look I'm sorry about yesterday. And I've thought it through... It's your body Sam, so it's your choice. Whatever you decide, I'll support you no matter what." Tom explained because spending the night sleeping in his uncomfortable car had made him realise that Sam was only thinking logically - not erratically. He watched as he words made her smile a little.  
"No, you were right. I can't have an abortion, not even for one of them. We're keeping all of them... All eight." Sam stated quietly. "Well... If all of them make it... And then there's the money side of things..." Sam mumbled and Tom pulled her into a hug as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"We'll manage." Tom whispered as he held her tightly. She was the perfect height for him becuase her head tucked under his chin perfectly. "We've dealt with everything that's been thrown at us so far and there's nothing stopping us from having eight healthy babies." Tom stated quietly. "And I'm sorry I didn't come home last night, I slept in the car because I didn't think that you'd want me there."  
"I missed you." Sam croaked and Tom felt a couple of her tears drop onto his scrub top and dampen his skin.  
"Don't cry, please." Tom pleaded, it broke his heart to see her like that. She never cried, and through her twelve weeks of pregnancy, well to the best of his knowledge anyway. "I'll be there tonight, I'm coming home." He added as he stroked her hair, but he worked out that it was just one of those situations where he was best just to let her cry for a while until she settled. "And I missed you too. But we're not going to be spending another night apart anytime soon so don't you worry." He whispered before he kissed her on the top of her head.

**Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think and review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Sam was 13 weeks pregnant but she was looking around 25 weeks pregnant for a singleton pregnancy. The only people who knew about the octuplets were Sam's medical team, Tom, Zoe, fletch and Sam herself because they knew how rare octuplets were and they didn't want the press to find out about it. However, there was a weak link in the group that had not been as secretive as she should have been...

"Sam, phone for you." Charlie called as he held the phone from the nurses station up. Sam waddled over and put the phone to her ear.  
"Hello?"  
"_Hello, Mrs Kent this is Louise from the Holby Gazette. We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions_." She began. Sam quickly slammed the phone down out of panic before she realised that she was probably just being too paranoid and that it could've been about anything. In the end, she decided that it was probably about the complaint she had made about her landlord who wanted to change their contract so she put the thought to the back of her mind.  
"Boo!" Tom whispered in Sam's ear as he playfully slapped her bum which made her jump.  
"Tom, don't do that!" Sam let out a sigh of relief as she put her hand on her chest before she grimaced.  
"Your chest still sore?" He asked quietly because he knew that since she had woken up, she had had achy breasts. Sam nodded before she began looking around the desk.  
"You haven't seen where I've put my green pen have you?" She asked curiously as she lifted up a few files to check.  
"What? You mean this one?" Tom asked as he took a pen from out of Sam's ponytail.  
"I swear I am losing it." Sam proclaimed as she took the pen and wrote something down on a form.

* * *

Sam had gone out to sit down on a bench during her break, wearing her scrubs with Tom's dark blue NHS hoodie on as hers no longer fitted, when a stranger with a notepad came and sat next to her.  
"Morning." The woman smiled.  
"Morning." Sam said to be polite as she shuffled slightly further towards the end of the bench and away from the woman.  
"You're Sam aren't you?" She asked kindly to which Sam looked confusedly in reply. "You treated my daughter last week." She lied, but Sam had treated many people and she felt uncomfortable next to the stranger.  
"Sorry but I'd better-" Sam tried to escape but the woman continued to talk and Sam didn't want to be rude to a woman who hadn't done anything to her.  
"Congratulations on your babies." She smiled.  
"Thanks- wait. Babies?" Sam demanded as she realised that she had used a plural when she wasn't supposed to know about her pregnancy.  
"Yeah, it's octuplets isn't it?" The woman asked. Sam shook her head frantically as she stood up off of the bench and quickly disappeared into the hospital away from the woman.

* * *

"What do you want to eat?" Tom asked as she entered the empty staff room becuase he knew that Sam was struggling with eating 4,400 calories a day and he often had to encourage her.  
"Some woman just asked me if I'm having octuplets." Sam blurted out with a hint of annoyance as she sat down on the sofa next to her husband.  
"What woman?" Tom asked worriedly but they were interrupted as the young nurse Robyn, followed by Tess entered the room.  
"Congratulations!" Robyn squealed as she held her phone in her hand.  
"On what?" Tom asked.  
"The octuplets! I can't believe it's-"  
"Wait, how the hell do you know?" Tom demanded as he stood up protectively in front of his wife.

"It's on the news." Robyn said innocently. "Wait. You haven't seen the article?" She asked as she got it up on her phone and then showed it to Tom.  
"_Samantha Kent, 28, is pregnant with octuplets and it is thought to be the only case that has been conceived naturally_." Tom read aloud. "This is ridiculous! How the hell do they know?" He protested as Zoe entered the room.  
"Sam, there's a photographer and a journalist outside they want to speak to you but I sent them away." Zoe stated.  
"Right, thanks." Sam forced a smile as she got up from the sofa and then got an apple from the fruit bowl. "Tom don't worry. There's nothing they can do if we all refuse to answer questions and besides, what are you so worried about anyway?" Sam queried. She didn't like the idea of the press knowing about her situation, but she didn't see the need to panic like Tom was.  
"I'm just worried about you." Tom admitted as he watched his wife bite into an apple - she didn't seem fussed at all.  
"Well I'm fine, you're fine, the babies are fine so let's just get back to work." Sam ordered as she got off of the counter she was leaning against and then headed out to the department.  
"Tom, if Sam's not worried, I see no reason to be either." Zoe said wisely before she too returned to her work.

* * *

Tom was sat on the floor of their living room, flicking through property magazines whilst Sam browsed potential future homes for the new family on the laptop. She was beginning to get bored because it was near impossible to find a house with enough bedrooms that they would be able to afford, along with raising a maximum of eight kids so she decided to check her emails. There was a few spam emails, one from the electricity company and one from the 'Goodbye Editor'. The Goodbye magazine was one of the most popular magazines in Britain and she was intrigued so she opened the email.

_Dear Mrs Kent,  
I am writing to inform you of an offer for you and your future family. Now I know you must've had plenty of requests for interviews and comments, however we would like to make a deal with you. We, here at the Goodbye magazine, would like to offer you ownership of the property to the link below, a fully paid home makeover of your choice, a 16 seater white minivan along with £10,000 spending money in return for two interviews from you and your husband, and two photo shoots. If you were to agree, the first interview and photo shoot would be during your pregnancy around 18 weeks gestation and the second would be several months after the birth of your children. If you are interested, please reply to this email to schedule a meeting, and we can discuss and if needed negotiate terms with you.  
Thank you,  
George Murray  
Editor of Goodbye magazine_

Sam was curious so she opened the link to the property, and it opened to an amazing nine bedroom property.  
"Tom, look at this." Sam said and Tom got off of the floor and sat next to her on the sofa as she scrolled through the pictures.  
"It looks like our dream home but, I'm pretty sure it's not in our price range." Tom said sadly.  
"Well it technically costs £4.75 million but... What if I were to say it's free?"  
"I'd say you're nuts." Tom replied bluntly.  
"Look what Goodbye! magazine sent me." Sam said as she showed him the email.

"What? You want to do this?" He queried after reading it and Sam nodded.  
"Tom, we would never be able to afford a house for all of them to have their own bedroom, this would take such a massive weight off of our shoulders just think how much better we'd feel, if we have a home sorted and fully furnished, along with some extra money and the minivan." Sam explained. "And, I really want to have a photo shoot done while I'm pregnant, as long as we can keep some copies of the photos."  
"But... What if they make us look bad? I mean, I've been researching facts on octuplets and the only set of octuplets to survive so far is the Suleman octuplets conceived by IVF and the media gave them a really bad image by saying they live off of benefits and that she's already got kids. What if they find a way to make us look bad?" Tom asked.

"Well it says they're willing to negotiate terms, so maybe we should speak to them, and say that we won't do it unless they let us see the article before they publish it and that we have to agree with it. And we could say we won't do it unless they give us some extra money becuase they're obviously looking for an exclusive if they're offering so much." Sam suggested. "And we could say that we're perfectly within our rights to refuse to answer some questions if we don't want to."

"Imagine us, in a 9 bedroom house with 8 babies." Tom smiled.  
"No. Imagine us in a 9 bedroom house with 8 stroppy teenagers." Sam remarked.  
"I already live with one." Tom joked and Sam elbowed him.  
"So I can reply to the email then?" Sam asked as she fluttered her eyelashes at him and smiled.  
"Go on then. But we're not signing anything until we've thought it through properly." Tom stated sternly.

**Thanks for reading :) If you want to see what the house is like then search '9 bedroom house for sale Copse Wood Way' and the property is £4.75 million! Obviously, in my story the location is different, but the layout will be the same. Please leave a review :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Still at thirteen weeks pregnant, Sam was all Tom could think about. His thoughts were mainly about their meeting with the Goodbye magazine editor that would take place later that day because he just kept on wondering if they would end up in their dream home - money had been a worry for them since they'd found out about the octuplets because they were perfectly capable of raising and spoiling a single child with the money that they had, but eight they weren't so sure about. He also kept on thinking about when he would first feel his babies kick because it felt odd that Sam was so large, yet they hadn't moved yet because it was far too early.

"Fletch, have you seen Sam? I haven't seen her for a while." Tom asked.  
"Um, yeah she was going to the store room; she took my keys." Fletch replied.  
"Alright, thanks." Tom smiled before he jogged out of cubicles and down the corridor to the store room. He slowly opened the door and saw Sam putting something in her scrub pocket on her top. "What's that?" He asked curiously and Sam jumped out of her skin as she noticed that her husband was there; she thought that she was alone.  
"Oh um, just something for a patient." Sam lied convincingly but Tom could see right through her. He approached her, and gently slipped his hand into her pocket and took out the box - Sam allowed the action because she knew he wouldn't let it go unless he found out.

"Stool softeners." Tom read off of the box with a hint of confusion.  
"Mmhmm." Sam mumbled embarrassingly.  
"Have you spoken to Mr T about taking these?" He asked because he knew that Mr T was the head of Sam's vast medical team - there was expected to be a few dozen people there at the birth to care for Sam and the little ones.  
"I don't need to. Look my internal organs are being crushed so they're not fully functioning and it says on the box safe for pregnancy and I... I need them." Sam admitted as she avoided eye contact.  
"When did you last go?" Tom asked.  
"It doesn't matter Tom."  
"No, when?"  
"Please, just leave it." Sam pleaded as she watched him hold the box in his hands.  
"Okay. But it is less than a week right?"  
"Yes." She sighed.  
"Fine, but you've got to tell Mr T that you're taking them at our next appointment. Okay?"  
"I suppose so..." Sam muttered and Tom handed her back the box.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" Tom smiled as he put his hands on Sam's sides and slowly stroked her ever growing bump that was pressing against his abdomen.  
"Mm. Have I told you how much weight I've gained? A lot." Sam replied bluntly.  
"Yeah well it's still not enough because you still aren't eating 4400 calories a day. If you ate more, maybe you wouldn't feel so tired." Tom suggested. "C'mon, I'd give anything to eat that much all day and not have to worry about getting fat." He smirked.  
"I am hungry now actually." Sam admitted as she patted her bump.  
"Well then why don't I go across the street to subway and get your lunch for you?" He suggested. "And you can have a footlong, a drink and a cookie." He stated.  
"And a bag of crisps to put in the sub." Sam added and Tom smirked. "What!? Baby A wants it." She protested - from the ultrasounds, they had had to call each baby a letter from A to H to identify them.

"And what? You're gonna have eight different cravings and blame them on each baby?" Tom joked but he regretted it as Sam grinned like a Cheshire Cat. "Sam I was joking." Tom stated.  
"Chicken and bacon with lettuce, tomato and red onion, chocolate chip cookie, diet coke and ready salted crisps please." Sam smiled, sweetly.  
"And will you be paying by cash or card?" Tom raised his eyebrows.  
"_You_ will be paying however you want." Sam smiled as she walked past him out of the store room followed by her husband where she met Zoe. "It's not what you think." Sam protested immediately and Zoe smiled.

"I didn't think of that but now that you mention it you two have been off of the ward for a while." She remarked.  
"Honestly, Sam was just getting something." Tom stated but unfortunately, Zoe's eyes fell upon the square box that could be seen through Sam's scrub pocket on the side of her bump.  
"Getting what?" Zoe asked because she didn't feel comfortable to take the box herself because it was touching Sam's bump. "Sam." Zoe said sternly. Reluctantly, Sam pulled the top part of the box out of the pocket so that Zoe could catch a glance of the contents of the box, before she put it back in her pocket once more. "Alright, go on off you go." She said softly and Sam quickly waddled away and Tom and Zoe walked slightly behind her.

"I love it when she waddles." Tom smiled.  
"Shut up." Sam ordered as she tried to walk a little more normal, only it exerted too much energy and within a few steps she was back to waddling again. "And if my lunch isn't in front of me within ten minutes, you'll be in trouble." She threatened.  
"See you later Zoe." Tom muttered before he quickly sprinted towards the hospital main entrance because he knew that Sam was being serious.

* * *

Sam and Tom were on their way to the magazine deal meeting after having a quick appointment with Mr T. He had spoken to them about Sam's maternity leave because her entire medical team had agreed that because of the risk of premature labour, they'd want her to stop working sooner rather than later. And they had also stated that they were to admit Sam to the hospital and put her on moderate bed rest from week 24.  
"Can we just agree that we're not going to say yes to anything unless we talk about it." Tom suggested.  
"Yeah, of course." Sam nodded as she switched on the indicator to turn into the car park at Goodbye magazine's offices which were thankfully only a twenty minute drive from their flat.  
"Can we also agree that you're going to stop driving by the end of today?" Tom asked cautiously as he watched his wife behind the wheel - her driving capability wasn't hindered at all he just didn't want her to be under any stress whatsoever but she had insisted that she was driving them there because of his awful navigational skills.

"End of today?" Sam moaned.  
"Please? For me? I did get you lunch today." He smiled.  
"But..." Sam trailed off but she couldn't think of an excuse.  
"Look, we both work the same shifts so I can drive you to and from work, I always come with you to your appointments, and whenever else you go out, I'm pretty much always with you." Tom stated and Sam rolled her eyes. "Great. That's settled then." He smiled smugly.

* * *

"Wonderful to meet you both." The man smiled as he shook both of their hands and then they sat on chairs by his desk in his office. "I'm George Murray, head editor of goodbye magazine and I'm delighted that you've considered this offer." He stated. "You're looking very well Mrs Kent." He smiled warmly.  
"Thanks, but call me Sam."  
"Okay then, Sam. Right, what do you think of the house?" He asked cheerily, he hadn't broken his smile since they'd entered the room which was beginning to annoy Tom.  
"It's amazing." Sam stated. "It's quite the offer, though we have had similar ones." Sam lied and Tom had to refrain from bursting out laughing as his wife was trying to haggle.  
"Right well, I suppose I'd better just run through what the first interview and photo shoots would entail when you'll be around 18 weeks gone. Basically, it would be me and a photographer and we would come to your current home and get various pictures of you and your husband. Some of which we would like of you without your bump being covered if possible."  
"That's fine." Sam nodded as she entwined her fingers with Tom's besides her.  
"And the interview would just be me asking you some questions and I'll record the answers on a tape recorder, nothing formal at all, just in your home and then we'll make it into an article and for the second interview we will be wanting to make an entire magazine dedicated to the story of the octuplets and mum and dad."

"Not that we're not optimistic but, you are aware of the risks of having eight babies and the track record of their history right?" Sam asked. "There's only one set of octuplets in history that all eight have survived."  
"Of course." George nodded in understanding. "So any questions about the interviews or photo shoots?" He asked and Sam shook her head.  
"There is just one thing, if we agree to this, we'll want to see a copy of the magazine before it's published so that if we have any issues with it, we can raise them." Tom stated.  
"Ah, yes I have actually written that in the contract for you." George stated as he began clicking through his laptop, brought up a word document, highlighted a few sentences and showed them to Tom.  
"That's sorted then." Tom sighed after reading it as he leant back in his seat.

"Now then, for all of this to work, this would have to be an exclusive and we wouldn't want you to do any other interviews or give any photos to other magazines or newspapers throughout your pregnancy. This is also written in your contract. So, I think it's time to discuss your part of the deal." He stated as he sat forward in his chair. "If you were to agree and sign the contract, you'll have full ownership of the minivan and the 9 bedroom house without a mortgage and we will give you our an interior designer to help with your home. Now she's our employee, so we'll give her a company credit card and she'll know how much she can spend but you'll go out shopping with her and buy furniture etc for the house, and then we'll also pay for carpenters, painters etc until your house is up to standards for you. And then of course, you'll have the £10,000 paid into your bank account." He explained.

"Now as I said, we have had similar offers," Sam began.  
"And?" George queried curiously because he knew that the couple would be after more and he had spoken to his boss about how much more he could give them.  
"And, we'll agree to the contract, if, the money is raised to £30,000." Sam stated, in her opinion it was worth a try and they would need the money to raise eight babies.

"Right, I'm going to tell you something but you can't repeat it okay?" George said quietly and Sam and Tom sat forward to hear. "I've got kids of my own so I know money is difficult, but I've been told by my boss to go no higher than £25,000. Now I can raise the money to that, and I'll tell him that you two were very stubborn and threatened to give an exclusive to other magazines unless I raised the money. How's that for you?" He smiled.  
"Can me and my wife have a moment to talk about it please?" Tom asked.  
"Yes of course. I'll be back in a moment. Would you like a tea or coffee?" He asked as he stood up from his desk.  
"No thanks." Tom replied.  
"No thank you." Sam smiled so the man left and closed his office door behind him.

"Why is this a lot easier than I thought it'd be?" Tom laughed as he spun his chair and faced his wife. He took both of her hands in his.  
"I don't know but this is just... I can't believe this is happening!" She said excitedly. "That home looked amazing, and I cannot wait to go out shopping for it. I've always wanted to just go out and go yep, I'll have two of them, ten of them blah blah blah." She squealed.  
"You sure you're happy about having to show your bump when you'll be around 18 weeks? I mean, millions of people are going to see it." Tom asked.  
"Yeah, I want the pictures to remember the pregnancy by. And it don't care if people see it... What's happening to my body is natural and if I show people my body and that I don't care, it might inspire others that they don't have to be so self conscious." Sam concluded.

"The next mother Theresa." Tom joked. "But seriously, you're definitely happy with all of this yes?" He asked.  
"Yeah, course I am. You?"  
"Of course." Tom nodded.

* * *

**8pm**  
Sam and Tom were sitting on the sofa after having their dinner. Sam obviously had to eat a lot more calories than Tom (almost double his daily intake actually) so she a had had a full plate filled with roast potatoes, two lean chicken breasts and vegetables along with a large slice of Black Forest gateaux with a handful of raspberries and blackberries, while Tom had eaten a much smaller portion with just one chicken breast instead of two. They had happily signed the contract and had agreed on several dates including the day that they would go to visit their new home where it would be empty, a day to go out shopping with the interior designer, a day for the 18 week interview and a day for development to begin for their new home.

"Y'know, Zoe asked me to speak to you about maternity leave again." Tom stated softly becuase he knew his wife was getting sleepy; she usually did around between 8 and 9 in the evening because of the strain her body was being put under. And she was usually more lenient when she was tired because she didn't have the energy to argue.  
"I know... And I know how high the risk of premature labour is for me - well that's why they're putting me on bed rest at 24 weeks, but I want to keep them in me as long as I possibly can, because then they can get stronger... So I'm going to take things easy from now on, I promise. And I'm going to do everything I can to keep them inside me for now so I'm not gonna swim loads of lengths anymore, or go for the occasional jog. And I've decided, I'm going on maternity leave at 20 weeks." Sam explained slowly.

"That sounds like a brilliant plan to me." Tom agreed as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Why don't you go and get into bed and I'll make us a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a few biscuits?" Tom suggested because he did everything he could to keep Sam eating - without his encouragement she wouldn't be eating nearly as many calories as she was and she was only just meeting her recommended allowance of 4400 calories a day.  
"I was going to have a bath to relax a bit before I go to bed." Sam stated.  
"Alright, I'll make your hot chocolate and run you a bath." Tom smiled as he got up and headed to the ensuite bathroom to turn the taps on.

* * *

Tom entered the bathroom and placed the packet of biscuits and two mugs on the side. Sam was wrapped in a fluffy white towel so he took it off of her and helped her into the bath before he watched her relax under the bubbles in the warm soapy water.  
"Here you go." He said as he handed her the mug which she wrapped her hands around to keep her hands warm whilst they were out of the water.  
"Thanks."  
"So, what on earth are you going to do while your on bed rest on maternity?" He asked curioisly. "I mean, I'll have to talk to Zoe about my paternity leave but I don't think I'll be allowed any leave before the birth." Tom stated. From their meeting with Sam's vast medical team, they knew that Sam's 'Moderate Bed Rest' meant that she had to stay in bed most of the day, but she allowed to get up to go to the toilet, to have a bath but no showers and to go for a walk once or twice a day. Other than that, she didn't have much choice and sexual intercourse had also been limited to only foreplay.

"Um... I could research childcare and nurseries. I want to get some parenting books on newborns and premies so I can read them... I've been writing an essay about octuplet pregnancy," Sam admitted, "but I haven't had much time recently so I can catch up on that." Sam stated.  
"An essay?" Tom queried.  
"Yeah, I mean octuplet pregnancies are so rare and because there's so little data on them, I thought it would be better for a doctor who's experiencing everything first hand to write a paper on it." Sam explained. "I'll probably finish it a month or two after the birth and then I can submit it to the BMJ and see what they think."  
"That sounds like a good idea." Tom smiled before he took a sip of his hot chocolate.  
"Tom..."  
"Yeah?"  
"What if... I mean when I have the c-section and they'll all be taken to NICU... I want you to go with them as soon as the last one is born. Don't stay with me, they'll need you more." Sam stated as tears pooled in her eyes.  
"Oi, don't cry." Tom ordered as he leant over the bath and pecked her on the forehead. "We've got the best possible team of about 46 medical professionals focusing on you and our babies. In fact, we've got an entire neonatal intensive care unit just for our babies because the capacity for each unit is eight Sam." Tom laughed softly. "We've got specialists coming from America, and from all over the country to ensure that every single on of our babies survives and although I can't give you a guarantee, whatever happens, we're in this together." Tom explained.

"Are you finished with the crappy pep talk yet?" Sam joked as she sniffed and then took a sip of her drink.  
"Not yet." Tom said before he cleared his throat. "Finally, not only have we got the best healthcare team, but they've got the best possible mother-"  
"Don't even bother with that one." Sam laughed.  
"No, listen to me. I mean it. You've been eating the healthiest diet you can for them so they'll be getting all the right nutrients. And if you think about it, your body is the best for octuplets because you're not overweight or underweight, you're young, fit, healthy and you've got the best attitude to be their mum because you're giving up the job that you love just for our babies Sam. Honestly, they couldn't have a better mum." Tom stated.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	9. Chapter 9

A few weeks passed, and Sam grew bigger and bigger until she was having to order plus sized clothes online because usually maternity clothes, even for full term mothers, did not fit her anymore. At 18 weeks pregnant, Sam looked a little bit bigger than a full term singleton mother and she was extremely exhausted, not that she would admit it to anyone, except her husband so she had been putting on a front at work. She had two weeks before she would go on maternity leave, and just six weeks before she was put on bed rest for the benefit of her children.

They had a busy three days ahead of them. Firstly, Sam had her anomaly scan where they would find out the genders along with another MDT meeting with her medical team. The next day, they were going to be shopping for their new home. And the day after that was the day that Sam and Tom would give an interview and have a photo shoot for goodbye magazine.

"Make sure you have a full bladder for the scan." Tom remarked as they walked along the maternity corridors after being called by the receptionist  
"When do I not have a full bladder?" Sam said sarcastically was they entered Mr T's room.  
"Ah, Sam, Tom. Good to see you." He smiled as the couple sat down in front of his desk.  
"Just to let you know, she's in a sarcastic, odd mood." Tom stated bluntly and Sam rolled her eyes.  
"Right." Mr T replied awkwardly. "Well for the scan, I'm going to take approximately 15 to 20 minutes per baby to check that everything is in order. Now I understand that sitting for so long might be uncomfortable so I'll check four of your babies, then you can have a ten minute break and then I'll check the others okay?"  
"Yep." Sam nodded.  
"Okay, let's get started then. If you just want to jump on the bed."

"Not literally of course." Tom added sternly as Sam got up from her chair. He helped her onto the bed before he sat besides her as she rolled her shirt up. Mr T carried over eight thin A4 folders and placed them besides the machine with his one.  
"Each of your babies has already got it's own file." Mr T smiled as he opened the first one labelled 'Baby A Kent.' "Would you like to know the genders if it's possible?" He asked.  
"Definitely." Sam and Tom both replied at the same time.  
"Okay then, let's have a look at baby A." Mr T announced as he pressed the lubricated probe onto Sam's bump. He held the probe around the very bottom of Sam's bump and twisted the screen slightly so that he, as well as the parents, could see the screen. Because there was 8 babies in the womb, not all could be seen at once so there was just a baby in the middle, along with two feet belonging to another baby. "Right, so you know that there's triplets in one amniotic sac another lot of triplets in a second sac and a set of twins in another sac." Mr T explained. "Baby A, is one of the triplets in the first sac, and I can tell you that it's almost certainly a boy." He smiled and Tom had a smug look on his face.

"What would you say if it was all eight boys?" Tom asked curiously.  
"They're not all boys." Sam huffed, but she wasn't fully sure yet. They'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

40 minutes later, Mr T had thoroughly checked Baby A and B and both were healthy boys.  
"Now then, let's have a look at Baby C who -because it's in the same sac- is probably a boy as well." Mr T said as he moved the probe around with one hand, and got the third patient file with his other hand so that he could fill out the details about that baby. "Yep, it's a boy and- oh..." Mr T peered at the screen to get a closer view.  
"What is it?" Sam queried worriedly.  
"Just gimme a minute." Mr T said as he turned the screen to face him rather than the parents. Tom squeezed Sam's hand a little harder as they both anxiously waited a few minutes before he reluctantly turned the screen back to them. "This little boy, has what's called Spina Bifida. Have you heard of it before?" He asked curiously.  
"No." Sam mumbled.  
"I've heard of it, but I don't know a lot about it." Tom stated.

"Well, the white dotted line is his spine, and see this bulge along the spine, that's a fluid filled sac where the vertebrae isn't fully fused. But by the looks of things, the spinal chord isn't affected." He explained.  
"Is there a treatment for it?" Tom asked.  
"Yes, it would most likely require a small operation to remove the sac, however even with the sac removed, there could still be symptoms of the problem such as paralysis, bladder or bowel incontinence and problems with learning." He explained and Sam tensed up.  
"So what? He might not walk?" Sam asked worriedly.  
"It is a possibility, but it is more likely that he will walk than not." Mr T stated. "I'll just continue with the scan." Mr T said quietly as he looked back at the screen and began writing notes in Baby C's folder.

* * *

It had seemed like forever when Mr T finally took the probe off of Sam's stomach after checking all eight babies - three of which were boys, and five were girls. Aside from the third boy having spina bifida, there were no other problems, except one little worry.  
"I am a little bit concerned about Baby H because she is clearly the smallest by far. Now, she is fully developed, but she isn't quite growing at the pace of her brothers and sisters because she is at the very top of your uterus, and she appears to have the least space out of all of them." Mr T explained. "However, in general, they are doing pretty well." He stated as Tom helped Sam off of the bed to cheer them up because he knew that the couple weren't too thrilled with the diagnosis of spina bifida. "Here you go." He said as he handed Tom a small pile of scan pictures - there was one for each baby. "Right, do you want to take a breather before we go to the MDT meetings?" He suggested.

"No, let's just get this other with." Sam sighed.  
"You sure?" Tom asked and Sam nodded. "Come on then." He said as he turned Sam around and they followed the consultant out of the room and towards a meeting room.

* * *

It was evening by the time Sam and Tom left the hospital after discussing the bed rest, the birth and the babies care after the birth and Sam had barely said a word since the scan. Tom came in to the living room, at next to Sam on the sofa as he handed her a cup of creamy hot chocolate that had become part of her bedtime regime just weeks into her pregnancy.  
"Right, I know it's not something that we can ignore, but this spina bifida... We can't do anything and we can't change anything until he's born. And it isn't necessarily life threatening at all, so we've just got to be optimistic, like we are for all of them." Tom explained softly as he wrapped his arm around her back. "C'mon, where's that smile I saw earlier when you found out five of them were girls?" Tom asked and Sam couldn't help it as a smile tugged at her lips. "There it is." Tom smiled as he squeezed her hips. He smoothed his hand over her large bump and rested it there.

"I knew there'd be more girls." Sam smiled as she linked her fingers with Tom's on too of her bump.  
"Yeah right." Tom muttered.  
"I did!" Sam protested.  
"Mm." Tom nodded just to shut her up as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "So... Shopping tomorrow." He stated.  
"Mm, and I'm going to spend as much of goodbye magazine's money as possible." Sam stated proudly.  
"For a variety of reasons, do you think it's best that we just get everything that's unisex rather than for a specific baby?" Tom suggested. "Because otherwise washing and dressing will be a nightmare." He stated.  
"And then if some of them don't make it-"  
"Don't even go there." Tom interrupted. "Whatever happens, happens. We'll just have to wait and see." He stated.

"Tom... When I'm on bed rest, will you stay with me some nights?" Sam asked quietly.  
"Some nights? Sam I'm staying with you _every_ night." Tom stated and Sam let out a small sigh of relief. "You soppy cow! You thought I was going to stay at home while you spent however long in hospital?" Tom laughed.  
"Kinda I... I just didn't think that you'd want to sleep in a hospital when you didn't have to." Sam admitted and Tom shook his head in disbelief before he kissed Sam on her forehead.  
"I'm with you every step of the way." Tom stated.  
"Sorry to ruin the moment but I need a wee." Sam smiled sweetly.  
"Go on." Tom smirked as he gave her a little push to get up off of the sofa before she waddled to the bathroom.

* * *

Tom and Sam laid under the duvet in their double bed both on their side and he had his hands, gently smoothing over her stretched, taunted skin of her abdomen.  
"You mean the world to me, y'know that?" Tom whispered. "And you are gonna be the perfect mother to all of our children."  
"Mm, and you're gonna be the fun parent, and I'm gonna be the serious boring one." Sam stated sleepily.  
"No, we'll be equally as fun and as boring as each other." Tom smirked. "Oh and, just to keep you going all day tomorrow, I've got you a little present that you can cuddle up to in the evening." Tom stated.  
"I swear if you've got a pet I'm gonna-"  
"No no no no no it's not a pet." Tom said quickly.  
"Well what is it then?" Sam asked curiously.  
"But that'll ruin the surprise." Tom pouted.  
"But I don't like surprises." Sam stated and Tom rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He huffed. "It's a U shaped body pillow." Tom stated. "I thought it'd help with your back and you might get a better sleep with it." He explained and Sam sank into his embrace even further.  
"Thank you." She said sleepily as she closed her eyes.  
"You're welcome. Night night." Tom whispered as he reached behind him and turned the bedside lamp off.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Sam was sitting at the breakfast bar with her bowl of muesli that was nearly finished. And that was a second course to her bowl of fruit salad to keep her energy high, and to provide all eight of her babies with the right nutrients.

"Right, you looking forward to today?" Tom asked as he came in and zipped his hoodie up. The pair, along with an interior designer, were going shopping to furnish their new nine bedroom home in time for Sam to see the finished result before she was admitted to hospital for bed rest. They were due to be picked up at 8:30am by the designer and they would first head to a very large ikea warehouse that they had access too thanks to the magazine's boss.  
"Mm. But remind me to look at the books to get a couple for me to read in hospital." Sam ordered as she finished off her breakfast, and then washed it down with a glass of strawberry and banana smoothie.  
"Will do." Tom nodded.  
"473 calories for breakfast." Sam announced smugly.  
"Wow. I'm proud of you." Tom smirked.  
"No need to be patronising." Sam stated as she dropped off of the stool and onto her feet. She groaned as she pushed her hand into her aching spine for support. "Clean this up for me. I need the toilet." Sam ordered as she gestured the mess that she had made in the kitchen by cutting up fruit and using the blender, along with the dirty two bowls and glass as she waddled away to the bedroom to use the ensuite bathroom.

* * *

Sam, Tom and Imogen entered the humongous warehouse after being given permission to go around it to search for furnishings and anything that they wanted was to be given a large black cross in marker on the box so that the men would go around after them and picked them up to get ready for delivery. It was practically lifeless with shelves around three storeys high stacked with boxes.  
"So," Imogen the cheery interior designer began as she stood with her A4 notepad, small calculator and pen, "I've got the measurements for all of the rooms. Is there a particular room that you want to sort out first?" She asked curiously.  
"I suppose our bedroom is probably the most important." Tom stated as they began to walk and he snaked his arm around Sam's waist. "We plan on having three cots in our room for the babies to sleep in for the first six or so months and they'll share." He stated.  
"Okay. Is there a particular colour scheme you want to go for?" Imogen asked. As they stopped by the enormous aisle that was filled with tins of paint.  
"Um..." Sam trailed off as she began to wonder about it.  
"Tell you what, you two decide on a colour and I'll just work out how much white paint you'll need for all of the ceilings." She smiled before she walked away from the couple to give them some space.

"How about... Pale and light blues?" Sam suggested.  
"Yeah, I was going to say that." Tom stated.  
"Well that's that settled then." Sam concluded. "And make sure we get a king sized bed. You take up all the room in our normal bed." She added. Tom was about to protest about the fact that she was the size of a whale and she took up about 3/4 of the bed, however he knew it would upset her so he refrained from commenting. They watched Imogen use the black marker to put a large cross on 8 tubs of ceiling paint before she joined them once more.

* * *

They arrived at the baby furniture section, and at first they paused to look at the catalogue to see what they wanted.  
"So, how many cots are you going to want?" Imogen asked curiously.  
"Eight. I mean, to start off, we'll have them sleeping in two threes and a pair in our bedroom, but when they get a bit older, they'll need their own cot." Sam explained. "And we need to get ten cot beds too. What I was thinking was that we could use the spare bedrooms for storage for now, because they probably won't have their own bedrooms until they're much older." Sam added.  
"Yep okay."  
"How about this one?" Tom suggested as he pointed to a light brown wooden cot. Sam looked at it and the details before she nodded.  
"Okay, ten of them then." She smiled and Imogen checked that the measurements would fit, and located the product code before she put a cross on ten boxes.

* * *

After ordering all of the furniture, carpets, lighting, paints and a fully installed kitchen, the trio headed to a large shopping centre to buy things like clothes - both for the parents and for the babies - along with toys etc.  
"Can we stop in here? I need to get some books for my bed rest." Sam queried and Imogen, as usual, smiled.  
"Of course, take your time. I'll be by the tills when you're ready." She replied so Sam and Tom entered WHSmiths and headed for the baby section after grabbing a basket.  
"I'm surprised we haven't bankrupted goodbye magazine yet." Sam joked as she slowly rubbed her bump.  
"You're joking right? As much as I know we've spent a hell of a lot of money, I'm sure they've got billions sitting in their pockets." Tom stated. "You hear that you lot? You're not even born yet and you're costing us hundreds." Tom joked as he slipped his arms around Sam from behind and looked down at her bump.  
"Y'know, that U shaped pillow had better be cosy because I can't wait to get into bed tonight." Sam stated as she picked up one parenting book and read the blurb of it before she placed it in the basket. Tom watched as Sam went along the aisle and picked up several more books before she stopped and smiled so Tom caught up with her.

"What?" He asked curiously.  
"Look, there's a reading group." Sam said quietly as she nodded to the circle of parents and young toddlers on a bright, colourful rug with pillows and soft toys whilst a shop employee read a book out loud.  
"Pft, who'd need to join one of them? We'll have enough children to start our own reading club." Tom stated smugly. "And I happen to do a very good gruffalo voice." He added. "Speaking of which, there's the children's section. Let's go and get some books for them."

Sam watched as her husband walked over to the vast children's section so she slowly padded after him as he began piling the thin books into the basket.  
"Do you not think that we should start off with these?" Sam said bluntly as she picked up two books. One entitled 'My first 100 words.' And the other 'My First 100 numbers.'  
"Yeah, but when they're in NICU and we're trying to get them to go to sleep, I hardly think they're gonna prefer 123 to once upon a time." Tom stated as he took the two books off of her and put them in the already heavy basket.

* * *

**7:30pm**  
Sam and Tom were sitting in the back of Imogen's car as she pulled up outside their flat after a long day of shopping. They had bought everything for the new babies, along with furniture for the whole house and a few play area things for the large garden which would be stored in the garage until the kids were were old enough to use it. They had also gotten a new variety of clothes each and Sam had even gotten a few dresses. Everything was going to be delivered to the new house soon, and Imogen was the project manager to ensure that the whole house turned out just as Sam and Tom wanted it to.

Imogen turned around to say goodbye, however she noticed that Sam had fallen asleep on the journey home.  
"Aaww." She whispered and Tom smiled.  
"Sam... Sam c'mon wake up. We're home." Tom said softly as he rubbed her arm. Slowly she opened her eyes to see her husband, before she realised that she was still in the car.  
"Oh um... Sorry." Sam muttered as she unclipped her seatbelt.  
"No, don't worry. It's fine." Imogen smiled. "Listen, it was great meeting you and I shall do the best job that I can for your new home. I wish you all the luck for your babies, I'm sure you'll be great parents."  
"Thanks. And thanks for helping us today, I'm sure we'll love the house." Tom replied. "C'mon, let's get you tucked up in bed." Tom smirked at his wife before he got out of the car and went around her side to help her out. "Thanks again." Tom said as he closed Sam's car door before Imogen drove away. "Right, you need a big meal seeing as you haven't eaten a lot today so do you want a nap and then have something later, or do you want to eat now and then have an early night?" Tom asked as they slowly made their way up to their flat.

"Seeing as we haven't had a takeaway in months, can we order a Chinese?" Sam asked. "That'll get plenty of calories in me." She joked half heartedly. "And I promise I'll eat healthily tomorrow."  
"Yeah, sure, that's fine. And don't ask about what you can eat; I'm not in charge of what you eat, you can eat whatever you want." Tom nodded. They entered their flat after taking the lift, and both sat down on the sofa with the menu, a pen and the phone. "Right, what do you want, you can chose the dishes we have." He offered.  
"Right, I want to order loads because I'm starving. But only if you don't comment on how much I'm eating." Sam warned.  
"That's fine. I'm starving too so order however much you want and I won't say a thing, honest." Tom replied. "But make sure that you get chicken balls." He added. Sam smiled to herself as she took the pen and the menu and began circling what she wanted. She circled several dishes before she handed the menu and the phone to Tom. "I take it I'm ordering yeah?" Tom laughed as he rang the number from the menu. "Hello, I'd like to order a takeaway to be delivered to number 6 free land road... Yep, I'd like sesame prawn toast, chicken balls, prawn crackers, crispy seaweed, beef fried rice, chicken curry, a quarter of a duck with pancakes, crispy chilli beef and Peking style spare ribs. Oh and a bottle of Pepsi zero." Tom said slowly down the phone. "Yes... Okay thank you. Bye." He hung up then phone and relaxed into the sofa. "They're gonna be around twenty minutes." Tom stated and Sam huffed.

"Don't forget we still need plates, glasses and utensils." Sam stated and Tom nodded.  
"Oh right, you want me to get them." He realised what she had meant so he jumped up and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

"How long does it take? Do they know I'm starving? I've got to eat for nine." Sam moaned, then there was a knock at the door. "Finally!" She got up off of the sofa and waddled to the front door.  
"That's odd, it's only been 10 minutes." Tom stated confusedly. "But still, I don't think I've ever seen you move so fast in the last 18 weeks." Tom joked and Sam glared at him before she opened the door.  
"Mrs Kent, I'm David Lays from itv news we were wondering why you weren't responding to our emails." The man said quickly and Sam was blinded by a bright flash of a camera from the man standing besides him.  
"Oi, get out of this building now!" Tom ordered as he leapt off of the sofa and in front of Sam. He slammed the front door shut before he turned around to see Sam rapidly blinking. "You alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Jesus, that was bright." Sam muttered before she rubbed her eyes. "How do they know where we live?" Sam asked.  
"Um, they must've followed us or something. C'mon, come and sit down, I'll get the Chinese when it's here." Tom said as he guided his wife back to the sofa and sat her down. "It hasn't affected your appetite has it?" Tom joked and Sam playfully elbowed him.

* * *

A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door.  
"You stay there." Tom ordered as he got up to answer the door. He tentatively opened it to reveal the delivery boy from the Chinese holding two carrier bags of food. "Oh um, how much?" Tom queried.  
"£28.60 please." The young lad replied as he handed Tom the bags. Tom got out his wallet and handed the boy a twenty pound note and a ten pound note.  
"Thank you, keep the change." Tom smiled before he closed the door and placed the carrier bags on the table. "Tuck in." He announced and Sam didn't need telling twice as she took out the bag of prawn crackers.

* * *

After a lot of Chinese food and two glasses of Pepsi, Sam was absolutely stuffed. Tom had eaten slightly less than Sam but he wasn't used to eating 4400 calories a day so it was understandable.  
"Right, where's the body pillow? because I just want to go to bed." Sam asked as he stretched her arms out in front of her.  
"It's already on your side of the bed; I put it there this morning." Tom stated as he held hands with Sam to help her to her feet. "Go and get into bed, I'll clean this up and I'll be with you in a minute." Tom said kindly.  
"Thank you." Sam smiled as she kissed Tom on the cheek before she waddled off to the bedroom.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tom entered the bedroom to find Sam cuddling the body pillow with her arms and legs wrapped around it and her bump resting on it. He quickly brushed his teeth in the ensuite before he stripped down to his boxers and slid into bed besides Sam. He longed to cuddle her like he did most nights, however he had gotten the body pillow because he knew that it would support her body - or more specifically, her back- a lot more than he could and it would hopefully provide her with a better, more comfortable sleep.

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter is the interview and the photo shoot. Please review :) **


	11. Chapter 11

It was the day of Sam's 18 week interview and she wanted to look perfect. She had been contacted by numerous magazines and newspapers for interviews about her octuplet pregnancy however she had refused because she had a deal with goodbye magazine and she was perfectly happy with the deal because she gained a minivan, a new home and £25,000.

George Murray and the photographer were due to arrive at Sam and Tom's flat at 10am to begin the photo shoot, followed by the interview so Sam had gotten up and gone for a shower at 7:30 so she could get ready on time. Tom had had a decent nights sleep, so he gradually opened his eyes and stretched, before he raised his head from his pillow to see his wife in light blue skinny jeans that were being held up by her bump band, along with a long sleeveless yellow top that clearly showed her bump and she was just sitting on the end of the bed, curling her hair in front of the mirror.

"You look beautiful." Tom smiled as he slowly sat up.  
"You look like you've only just woken up." Sam stated and Tom smirked.  
"What time is it?" He asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.  
"9 o'clock." Sam replied.  
"Right, I'm just gonna go for a quick shower." He announced as he stood up.  
"And a quick shave." Sam ordered.  
"And a quick shave." Tom repeated.

* * *

"Is my hair alright?" Sam asked her husband who stood in a black and white checkered shirt and casual jeans.  
"For the millionth time, you look absolutely amazing. Honestly." Tom stated and then there was a knock at the door. Tom walked to the door and straightened his shirt before he opened it to reveal a man with a notepad and voice recorder and a young woman with a camera and a large case.  
"Hiya, George Murray and this is our photographer, Emily Dale." He stated as he shook Tom's hand.  
"Nice to meet you both. Come in." Tom smiled as he held the door open and they both entered to find Sam in the living room.  
"Morning." Sam said as she shook their hands too.  
"Wow, you look amazing Mrs Kent." Emily smiled sweetly.  
"Please, call me Sam."

"Are you two okay for us to get the photo shoot out of the way first?" He asked and Tom glanced at Sam because he knew it was her who was the most nervous.  
"Yeah, sure." Sam replied.  
"Okay, well we'd like quite a few pictures, because we've been given 6 pages for next weeks issue to focus on this amazing story of octuplets." George stated. "So, I'll pass you over to Emily."  
"Well, the main picture that we are after, is one similar to this." She stated as she opened her case on the table and took out a picture of a heavily pregnant Myleene Klass wearing no clothes, but with one arm across her chest and one hand on use hip so that nothing inappropriate was seen, but the whole body was on camera.  
"Right." Sam nodded.  
"If you want to go and get undressed and come in in a towel or something, then we can set up in here okay?" She asked.  
"Come on, I'll get your dressing gown for you." Tom said as he guided Sam into their bedroom and closed the door. "You sure you want to do this?" He asked quietly.  
"Um, yeah. It'll be fine once we've started." Sam stated as she pulled her shirt over her head. Tom grabbed Sam's grey dressing gown whilst his wife took everything off, before he wrapped it around her. Thankfully, they had bought a maternity dressing gown the day before on their shopping trip so it fitted perfectly over her bump. Sam took a deep breath before she exited the bedroom where Emily had set up a tall white screen and the camera was on a stand.

"Um George do you want to come to the kitchen for a cup of tea?" Tom asked so that there would only be Sam and the woman in the room whilst she had to be naked.  
"Yes please." George nodded, he was glad of the offer to save the awkwardness so both men went into the kitchen and closed the door behind them.

* * *

After the photo shoot, Emily went down to the van to upload the images, so Sam, Tom and George sat at the table, ready for the interview.  
"Okay, I'm just going to ask you some questions and everything will be recorded on this." He stated as he switched on the voice recorder and placed it on the table. "First things first, are you employed, and if so, where?" He asked.  
"We're both doctors in Holby ED. I'm a specialist in paediatric emergency medicine and Sam is a specialist in general emergency medicine." Tom stated.  
"And is your boss supportive of the pregnancy?"  
"Definitely." Sam replied. "Zoe Hanna is our clinical lead and she's been so considerate about my maternity leave. Both of our jobs are secure." Sam stated.  
"Which brings me onto my next question, when are you going on maternity leave?" George asked.

"I'm going on maternity leave at 20 weeks, so in two weeks time. And then I'm going on bed rest and I'll be admitted in hospital at 24 weeks." Sam stated.  
"And why have you made the decision to go on leave so early?" He asked.  
"Because, with octuplets, the risk of premature labour is extremely high so I need take it easy and prevent any unneeded stress because the longer our babies stay inside me, the better chance they've got." Sam explained.  
"Okay. You had your anomaly scan this week am I right?" He asked and Sam nodded. "Do you know the genders?"  
"There's three boys and five girls." Sam stated proudly.  
"And were any complications picked up from the scan?" He asked and Sam glanced at Tom to hint for him to answer.  
"All of our babies are named Baby A to Baby H to identify them on the scans, and Baby C was diagnosed with Spina Bifida. It's where the vertebrae don't fuse properly and in Baby C's case, the spinal chord does remain intact, but he will need an operation to fix the problem." Tom stated. He knew better than to go into the details of possible paralysis because then the media would go crazy.  
"I'm sorry to hear that. But the rest of the babies are in good health?"  
"Yes, there's a small concern about the size of baby H but we're hoping she'll have a growth spurt before birth." Tom smiled.

"And the birth. That will be a c-section won't it?"  
"Yes."  
"And will you remain awake?"  
"Unless there's a complication that requires sedation, I will only have an epidural yes." Sam stated.  
"And what will happen after the babies are born?" George asked.

"There is a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, with eight beds in. All of our babies will go straight to the same unit which isn't far from maternity, and they will each have a doctor and a nurse allocated to their care, along with a consultant who will be in charge of all of the babies' care. Some of them will require intubation and a ventilator which will breath for them while their lungs mature, and hopefully , some of them won't need to be intubated but we can't say for certain until they're born." Tom explained.

"Okay, moving on. How did you find out you were pregnant?" George asked.  
"Well, we wanted to try for a baby on our wedding night, and two weeks later I took the test. I came out and sat with Tom while we waited for the result and obviously, the result was positive." Sam smiled.  
"So, this was a planned pregnancy?"  
"Yes." Sam and Tom both stated.  
"Okay, and we've heard rumours about how many calories you have to eat to keep your babies healthy. Care to enlighten us?"  
"During my second trimester, I have to eat approximately 4400 calories a day, I have to drink around 3 litres of water a day and I get around 10 hours sleep each night." Sam stated. "But when I enter my third trimester at week 28, I'll need to start eating around 6000 calories." Sam stated.  
"And, is it difficult to eat that much?" He asked.

"It's harder than I originally thought. I can't just have _any_ extra food for calories, I have to make sure I'm eating the right things for our babies. I stick to a very healthy diet to ensure I eat the correct nutrients." Sam stated.  
"And, what would you eat in an average day?" He asked.

"Um, I normally have a bowl of fruit salad, a bowl of muesli with almond milk and a fruit smoothie for breakfast. Then I'll have a granola bar and a fruit pastry mid morning. And for lunch I usually have a sandwich or a roll, with salad and something sweet like a cookie after. Late afternoon, I'll have some dried fruit and unsalted nuts. For dinner, I usually just have the same meal as Tom, just in a much bigger portion and just before bed I always have a cup of hot chocolate to warm me up." Sam explained.

"Okay. Have you decided on names for your babies yet?" George asked.  
"Not yet. We want to wait until they're born before we decide on names so that we can make sure that they suit them." Tom stated.  
"Okay, and do yo plan on breastfeeding or using formula?"  
"I've spoken to the babies' consultant, and for the first few days of their lives, they'll probably be on an IV drip that will provide their nutrients straight to their blood because their stomachs will still need to develop. Therefore they probably won't need breast milk, nor formula. However, as soon as they're ready to accept milk, I am planning on expressing milk for them to be fed via a nasogastric tube that goes from their nose to their stomach." Sam stated. "And once their ready, I will breastfeed them directly however it will all depend on how much milk my body produces because if I don't produce enough milk for eight babies, I will have to use a formula sometimes."

* * *

"Bye." Tom said as he closed the door. He then went and joined Sam on the sofa. "I thought they'd never leave." He joked.  
"Mm. Now all we've got to do is wait until they send us a copy." Sam stated.  
"Yep. Now c'mon, what do you want for lunch?" Tom asked.  
"Can I have a toasted BLT without mayonnaise in the sandwich, but with potato wedges and mayonnaise on the side please?" Sam asked. "And don't let the mayonnaise touch anything." She threatened.  
"Of course." Tom laughed as he got up and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

A few days later, Tom's alarm had just gone off to get up for work. Sam was still in the shower so he headed to the door to check to see if the newspaper had been delivered yet, when he noticed a thick brown envelope with the usual goodbye magazine logo on it on the door mat. He decided against opening it without his wife there so he went back into the bedroom and waited for Sam.

A few minutes later, she exited the ensuite with her body wrapped in a towel to find Tom sitting on the bed.  
"The magazine's here." Tom stated.  
"Ooh, let's have a look." Sam said as she slowly sat down next to Tom. He opened the envelope to unveil the front cover where the biggest words were: **Octomum's exclusive interview**.  
"Wow, nice nickname." Tom said sarcastically before he opened it and they were on the first six pages. There were various pictures. The largest one was of Sam wearing no clothes with one arm across her chest, and the other arm resting underneath her bump. Her curled hair hung loosely over her back as she gave a small smile for the camera. "You look absolutely beautiful." Tom stated.  
"Thanks." Sam smiled, because for once she was actually genuinely happy of the photo. There were also other photos of Sam and Tom hugging and kissing, and one of Sam pretending to be asleep on the sofa. There was one picture that took up an entire page showing all of the ultrasound pictures of Baby A to Baby H. Then they began to read the article.

_Samantha 'Sam' Kent, 28, gave us an exclusive interview of her pregnancy with octuplets, and how it's going so far. Sam is married to Tom Kent and the babies were conceived naturally, after the couple 'wanted to try for a baby on our (their) wedding night.' However, their first scan at 12 weeks gestation revealed that the couple weren't expecting one baby, nor twins, nor triplets. They were expecting eight babies!_

_Natural conception of octuplets is considering to be a one in four quadrillion chance making this the first ever recorded case. Not only did Sam beat those odds, but with no family history of multiples, and Sam is a young woman, of an English decent, with no previous pregnancies and no fertility treatments the odds are reduced even further. Some physicians say it's about time that this happened, however others say that it is completely unexpected._

_When asked, Sam -who is currently 18 weeks gone- told us that she has to eat a staggering 4400 calories a day to sustain the pregnancy, and when she reaches her third trimester, at 28 weeks, she will have to eat an astounding 6000 calories a day to keep her babies healthy!_

_However, nothing could've been done to prevent a spina bifida for Baby C and his father has told us that 'he will need an operation to fix the problem' when he is strong enough_ _for the procedure. In total, there are three boys and five girls, and the genders seemed to please both parents, though it's not unsurprising that Sam was a little happier about being able to 'outnumber the boys'._

_Sam told us that at a twenty weeks she will be going on maternity for the 'benefit of our babies' because her, her husband and her obstetrician are all worried about premature labour. And at twenty four weeks, Sam will be admitted of hospital and put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy._

_The babies are planned to be born at Holby City Hospital where there is a medical team of 46 consultants, surgeons, doctors, nurses and midwives all allocated to care for Sam and her babies. Once born by c-secion, the babies will be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where the capacity, is an ironic 8 babies. Each baby will have it's own healthcare team dedicated to ensuring it's survival yet despite all of the precautions, there are no guarantees of survival because in history, of all the cases of octuplets, there has only ever been one full set that have survived. The majority of octuplets die within a week of birth because they are too small and underdeveloped to function but that doesn't mean that the parents aren't optimistic._

_Sam said 'We both know the risks and the potential complications to me and to the babies. But I have an amazing team who have looked after me throughout my pregnancy so far and I have met every single person that will play a part in keeping me and my babies alive and I know that they will try their very best. Whatever happens, I won't be alone because me and Tom are there for each other.'_

_Tom added 'Sam's right. There nothing we can do about what's going to happen other than to make sure that Sam takes it easy so there's no point in panicking about things that we don't even know will happen. We'll just have to deal with each obstacle, but we'll deal with them together.'_

_Sam is scheduled for an elective c-section at 34 weeks gestation and we will be following their story closely in the coming months_.

"Wow, that's a lot nicer than I thought it'd be, but I didn't think that they'd need to put my age in." Sam admitted.  
"Mm. Right, I'd better go for a shower okay." Tom pecked Sam on the forehead before he went to the ensuite.

**Sorry this chapters a bit crap, it didn't quite flow as well as I thought it would... But anyhow, the next chapter will be Sam's last day in the ED before she goes on maternity leave. Please review :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Everyone was standing -except Sam who was sitting- in the staffroom on a Friday morning, getting ready for the day ahead. At 20 weeks pregnant, Sam was enormous. She was no longer fitting in maternity scrubs so she had to wear her own clothes to work and she was becoming exhausted. Thankfully, it was her last day at work so she would have plenty of time to regain her energy when she didn't have to worry about working five or six days a week.

"Guys, don't forget about the meal at the Shanghai restaurant around the corner for Sam's last day at 5:30pm." Tom announced. "And we're paying for the buffet with drinks included." He added and everyone cheered. Tom had decided to take Sam with her colleagues to a Chinese buffet because it was her favourite takeaway and she deserved a treat considering she had only had the one Chinese takeaway throughout her entire pregnancy.

Soon, everyone left to get on with their jobs leaving just Sam, Tom and fletch in the staff room.  
"You feeling alright? You only had a slice of toast for breakfast." Tom stated as he pulled his scrubs on whilst Sam sat on the sofa drinking a glass of water.  
"Yeah, I'm just saving my calories for tonight." Sam stated.  
"Me too, I'm gonna pig out big time." Fletch stated proudly as he flicked the kettle on. "Anyone want a cuppa?" He asked and Sam shook her head.  
"No thanks." Tom replied as he put his stethoscope around his neck.  
"Suit yourselves." Fletch muttered.

* * *

It was just an hour into everyone's shifts and unfortunately, an agency nurse was getting on everyone's nerves. Though for her, the feeling was mutual against some of the staff. Annie was covering for another nurse who was on sick leave for a few days and she certainly hadn't made an impression on anyone, least of all Sam because she appeared to be watching every move that the pregnant doctor made. Sam let out a sigh of exhaustion as she sat down at a chair at the nurses station when she saw Annie looking at her disapprovingly.  
"If you've got a problem with me, just say it." Sam ordered.  
"I don't know what you mean." The nurse lied unconvincingly.  
"You've been giving me looks all day." Sam stated.  
"Well have you seen yourself?" Annie muttered but Sam heard. "Look, you can't perform CPR, you won't go near any patients with vomiting or diarrhoea and you take frequent breaks. You shouldn't even be working!" She stated loudly, drawing the attention of most of the ED staff. Tom was about to step in because he was worried that Sam might start crying however, Sam rose to her feet and stood right in front of the nurse with her arms folded across her chest.

"Right, let's just get this straight: I'm a doctor and you're an agency nurse so you listen to me, not the other way around. Don't you dare speak to me or another member of staff like that again or I can assure you you'll regret it." Sam warned.  
"Is that a threat?" Annie protested.  
"Annie, my office. Now." Zoe ordered.  
"What? I-"  
"Now." Zoe repeated and the nurse rolled her eyes before she slowly padded over to the boss's office.

"Sam you legend!" Fletch smirked as he gave her a pat on the back.  
"Yeah, I thought you were gonna cry." Tom laughed and Sam squinted her eyes at him.  
"I'd hardly cry about a pathetic woman like her." Sam stated as she sat back down in her chair.  
"I'm just gonna go and get a cup of tea from the staff room, want anything?" Tom asked.  
"Yeah an apple and a bottle of water please." Sam replied.  
"Anything with more than a few calories in?" Tom pushed for Sam to be eating more.  
"Two apples?" Sam queried and Tom raised his eyebrows at her. "Fine. Do me some toast please. With marmite."  
"Good girl." Tom smirked before he walked off to the staff room.  
"He makes me sound like a dog." Sam huffed as fletch gave her shoulders a quick massage because he knew it helped her relax a little.  
"He's just looking after his family." Fletch stated. "I'd do the same." He added. "Anyway, who's looking forward to a Chinese buffet tonight?" He teased.  
"See? Now you're making me sound like a dog." Sam moaned.

* * *

**4:30pm**  
"Does anyone know where Sam is? I haven't seen her since lunch." Tom queried at the nurses station.  
"Haven't you seen her?" Cal smirked.  
"No." Tom replied confusedly.  
"She's crashed out on the sofa in the staff room." Cal stated.  
"And Fletch put a blanket over her." Robyn added.  
"For how long?" Tom asked curiously.

"I think Zoe found her about an hour ago, she told everyone to keep the noise down for her." Charlie stated and Tom smirked.  
"Right, thanks guys." Tom smiled as he headed over to the staff room. On the door was a note written in black marker on a sheet of paper saying 'QUIET PLEASE' that was clearly in Fletch's handwriting. Tom entered the room and closed the door behind him. He went over to the sofa where Sam was peacefully sleeping and he realised that she had her yellow stethoscope in her ears, with the chest piece going under her black jumper, on her bump.

He found it funny that she hadn't slept at work throughout her entire pregnancy, yet on her last day she had fallen asleep. Within seconds, her eyes opened and looked at her husband.  
"Have a nice nap?" Tom smiled as she sat up and he sat next to her.  
"I didn't mean to fall asleep." Sam stated as she pulled the stethoscope out of her ears. "I just laid down 'cause I felt a bit dizzy." She stated.  
"That will probably be because you've barely eaten anything all day." Tom stated. "Why don't you have a small snack now?" He suggested but Sam shook her head.  
"The Chinese is only in an hour." She stated after glancing at the wall clock.  
"Well considering it's probably low blood sugar, why don't you just have a glass of orange juice to keep you going until then? Please? For baby E?" He fluttered his eyelashes at her and she smirked.

"Fine." She huffed so Tom got up to pour her a glass of fruit juice from the carton in the fridge. He had just closed the fridge when he heard her gasp so in a panic he turned around.  
"What? What is it? Are you okay?" Tom asked quickly as he placed the glass on the side and ran over to his wife who had her hands on her bump.  
"Shush." She ordered as she grabbed his hands and placed them on her bump.  
"I don't understand." He stated.  
"Wait." She ordered and after a few moments of silence, Tom felt a little jolt from under Sam's stretched skin. They both broke into grins as they felt one of their babies give it's first proper kick.

"I bet it's one of the boys kicking." Tom stated and Sam squinted her eyes at him. "Just joking." He protested as he got to his feet. "Right, here's your juice." He stated as he handed her the glass. She quickly downed the small glass of orange juice in one before she handed the glass back to her husband.  
"Wash that up for me, I need a wee." Sam stated as she began to head for the door.  
"Surely it didn't go through you that quickly!" Tom laughed.  
"Obviously not." Sam said defensively before she continued on her journey to the toilets.

* * *

**5:35pm**  
Everyone was sat around an extra large round table in the Shanghai Chinese buffet restaurant with the drinks in front of them. There was Sam and Tom with glasses of lemonade, whilst most of the other people had beers or glasses of wine. There was Zoe, Tess, Max, Charlie, Robyn, Iain, Dixie, Jeff, Ash, Big Mac, Noel, Louise, Cal, Ethan, Rita, and of course, Fletch who was sitting next to Sam.  
"Right, I don't know about you lot but I'm starving." Tom stated as he got up to head to the buffet. Everyone, including an eager Sam, followed and soon returned with their plates filled with food.  
"I've got a joke for you lot. Sam's obstetrician thinks she's going to be on bed rest for about two months." Fletch smirked and Sam playfully elbowed him.

"I agreed with him about the bed rest." Sam stated sternly. "It's the best for our babies so I'm sure I'll manage. I'm allowed to go for walks and things like that and besides, I'll never be bored with you lot visiting me all the time. Hint hint." Sam smiled and fletch laughed.  
"Can you imagine five teenage versions of Sam and three teenage versions of Tom living in the same house?" Max joked.  
"Yeah well I bet they won't be as nearly as disgusting and as annoying as living with one of you." Robyn stated.

"I wasn't a stroppy teenager, I was a sensible one." Sam argued.  
"So that's why your year 11 school report, that was in some stuff I found the other day, says that you put little or no effort into subjects such as drama or music because you saw no point in them. I'm pretty sure that makes you a stroppy and arrogant teenager." Tom smirked as he took a bite of a crispy duck pancake. Sam looked down at her plate causing everyone to smile because she had backed down. "Although, I have to admit you have had a pretty good pregnancy." He stated.  
"Meaning?" Sam queried because from her point of view it had certainly been far from easy. Constipation, heartburn, headaches, aches and pains were not enjoyed.  
"Meaning I was expecting you to be severely hormonal but you're actually pretty composed." Tom stated.

"If only Nat was like that." Fletch sighed.  
"Cmon fletch you've got kids, tell us the secrets to avoid raising the next toe-rag." Tom said.  
"Um shouldn't you be asking me that?" Louise asked and everyone at the table looked at her confusedly. "What? I have to deal with little kids all day in reception. Don't we Noel?"  
"Um... Not really Louise no." Noel admitted and Louise glared at him.  
"Well then if you're looking for a babysitter, Louise is always available." Dixie joked and everyone laughed as Louise threw a strop.

"Right, none of this being polite because we're in public crap. I'm gonna eat as much as I possibly can." Fletch stated as he stood up with his empty plate and headed up for more.  
"Well said." Sam concluded as she too stood up and then waddled after him.

"Right, now that she's gone you can dish the dirt." Cal stated.  
"Dish what dirt?" Tom queried.  
"Oh c'mon, she can't be this normal all the time when he's pregnant with _octuplets_. She's got eight times the amount of hormones in her, and I bet she's thrown a few tantrums." Cal stated.  
"No, honestly. She's been fine." Tom stated. "She's a bit stubborn when it comes to cleaning the flat up but she really isn't much different than her normal self." He said before he returned to his meal.

"Tom, I'm sorry about the paternity leave situation." Zoe said solemnly.  
"Zoe, there's no need to apologise honestly. I know it's not your fault." Tom replied. He had been given very limited paternity leave compared to Sam's leave becuase the board were only coughing up for one locum doctor for Sam, they wouldn't provide a second to cover for him.

* * *

After everyone had reached capacity with just a little bit of room left, they moved onto dessert and Sam had a bowl with a slice of cheesecake, two profiteroles and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  
"I can't believe you're going. We're really gonna miss you." Robyn stated.  
"I'm only going for a few months." Sam stated. "Besides, you can always come and see me, I'll only be upstairs on maternity in a months time." She added.  
"But still!" She squealed. "Who's going to stand up against the violent patients?"  
"Tom can." Sam smirked.  
"Um, you shouldn't have been standing up to violent patients anyway." Tom stated as he glanced at Sam's bump.  
"Oh c'mon, it just gives me more padding." Sam joked as she placed her hands on her bump.

"So, got any names in mind yet?" Jeff asked curiously.  
"Yep. Sam junior, Tom Junior, fletch junior, Jeff junior- I'm joking!" Tom shrieked as he received a glare from his wife.  
"Jesus you've got a scary death stare." Fletch stated and Sam smiled to herself.  
"I quite like Samantha though." Tom suggested.  
"That's my name." Sam argued.  
"Yes, but everyone calls you Sam. We could actually call one of our daughters Samantha." Tom stated.  
"But just think, most people find it really difficult to decide on one name from so many different names but you can pick eight names." Fletch stated. "And do not make the mistake of calling your son Adrian." He warned.

* * *

After a while, everyone had finished eating and people were coming to the end of the current drinks. Tom looked at Sam who was slouched in her chair trailing her fingers over her bump.  
"Right, I do believe we'd best be heading off." Tom announced.  
"Yeah, I've got a rendezvous with my sofa, a bottle of beer and the TV remote." Fletch stated before he downed the rest of his pint. Everyone began to get up and pull their coats on whilst Tom went up to pay the bill. "Come here you." Fletch said as he held his arms out.  
"No. No hugging or I might just burst." Sam stated as she pulled her cardigan around her and put her handbag on her shoulder. "And I need to use the little girls room before we go." She added before she waddled off to the toilets.

* * *

Everyone crowded around outside so that they could say a final farewell and good luck to Sam when she finally came back out.  
"You took your time." Max stated bluntly.  
"You try emptying your bladder properly when it's there's eight things inside you moving about. It's like they can push a stop and start button." Sam remarked as Tom put his arm around her shoulders.  
"Right, you have to let us know when the babies are on their way." Robyn stated.  
"I'll tell Zoe, and she can tell everyone." Sam stated  
"Although you'll probably hear Sam screaming." Tom joked and Sam gave a small sarcastic laugh.  
"Good luck Sam, you'll be a great mum." Iain said reluctantly.  
"Thanks." Sam replied before she watched the man walk away.  
"C'mon, I don't care what you say, I'm getting a hug." Fletch stated as he wrapped his arms around Sam and hugged her without squishing her too much. Soon, Sam pulled away from his hold and straightened her top out. "Don't forget I'm always there for you, just gimme a call okay?"  
"Will do." Sam nodded and the group soon dispersed leaving the married couple and fletch.

"Fletch, can you just wait with her for a minute and I'll go and get the car? We can give you a lift home." He offered.  
"I would argue that I can walk to the car park but I honestly can't be bothered after eating all of that." Sam admitted.  
"Right, I'll be back soon." Tom stated as he brought the keys out of his pockets and then quickly walked back to the hospital's car park.  
"I can't wait to be an uncle." Fletch smiled.  
"Mm. But I can wait to be a mum." Sam muttered.  
"Let me guess, you just want them to stay inside of you?" He asked and Sam reluctantly nodded. "Don't worry, even mums with one baby feel exactly the same." He said reassuringly as he put his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Tom was sitting on the sofa with Sam's feet on his lap as he massaged her swollen ankles.  
"So, what on earth are you going to do for the next month?" Tom queried.  
"Start packing our stuff up probably. I'll need to pack my bag for the hospital. And I might pop down to the new home to see how they're getting on." Sam stated as she stared at the ceiling whilst she rubbed her bump.  
"No going to the new home, not until it's finished." Tom warned and Sam rolled her eyes. "And if you do start packing, take it easy yeah? Don't go lifting anything heavy." He added.  
"I won't." Sam huffed. "Don't you think it's odd how there was only the little kick earlier and there hasn't been anything since?" Sam queried.  
"Maybe you should stop rubbing your bump. You might be massaging them to sleep." Tom joked quietly, but he saw the look of concern on Sam's face. "Do you want me to get you a cold glass of water? See if that gets them moving? It did earlier." He suggested and Sam nodded so he moved her feet off of his lap and went to get her some icy cold water from the fridge. "It'll probably work best if you drink it all in one go." Tom stated as he handed her the glass so she drank the water as fast as she could, ignoring the sting it was causing in her throat whilst Tom knelt besides her on the floor next to the sofa. "It doesn't matter if it doesn't work, it's still only early days." Tom said softly as he gently rolled Sam's shirt up and then placed his hands on her large bump. He gently smoothed his hands over her skin to help Sam to relax a little when after a minute of silence, he felt something push gently against his hand.

Sam's face lit up as she felt the movement within her.  
"It feels weird." She smiled.  
"I'm sure you'll get used to it." Tom smiled back as he pushed against Sam's skin to see if he could tease his sons and daughters to kick back. They didn't, but with a little pressure, he could feel them moving about a little bit. "Just think, in a couple of weeks we'll be in our new home. And hopefully, a few months rather than weeks after that, we'll have our little babies to bring home with us." He said softly.  
"What's going to happen when they're discharged at different times?" Sam asked. "Because chances are, that they will all come out at different times. _If_ they leave the hospital that is."  
"We'll face that obstacle when we get there." Tom stated. "But don't forget that you're going to need to take it easy. You can't recover from a c-section over night." He stated.  
"I know, I know." She mumbled. "How about two nights?" She joked and Tom shook his head at her. "Do you know how annoying it is that I can't see my feet?" Sam remarked as she lifted her head from the sofa, but she still couldn't see them because of the sizeable bump in the way.  
"Yeah, you might want to cut your toenails by the way, they're beginning to curl they're that long." Tom smirked.  
"Really?" Sam asked worriedly as she tried to sit up but Tom pushed her back down.  
"I was joking." He stated and Sam closed her eyes as she rested her head back on the sofa. "I got a new rose oil moisturiser for you the other day, I don't suppose you fancy a bump rub do you?" He asked hopefully. Sam opened her eyes and saw that it was something that Tom clearly wanted to do. Presumably to bond with his babies because he had no where near as much contact with them as Sam did.  
"Yep, okay. But be gentle, I've still got god knows how many plates of Chinese food in here." Sam stated proudly as she pulled her top down and then patted her bump. Tom happily helped her up so that she could go and lie down on their bed.

* * *

The duvet had been placed on the floor for more room and Sam was lying flat on her back on the bed in just her bra and a pair of shorts.  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look?" Tom smiled as he climbed on top of her and sat on her thighs with most of his weight on his legs on the bed rather than her. He had stripped down to just his boxers because the heating had made their flat hot, and it was more comfortable than sitting in jeans.  
"Yes. So many times that it's beginning to get annoying." Sam stated. "And you had better have warm hands." She warned. Tom nodded as he rubbed his hands together quickly, before he picked up the bottle of moisturiser. He squeezed a little blob of it in his hands, rubbed them together to warm them up again before he began rubbing Sam's bump from the top.

"I think I can feel one of their heads." Tom stated.  
"You can, that's Baby H." Sam stated. "She's the smallest one in the very top of my uterus." Sam explained.  
"What? Do you know where all of them are?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Only her and baby A because he's right at the bottom. And I can feel where they are by palpating but I'm not sure who's who apart from those two." Sam stated.  
"What so this, is baby A?" Tom asked as he put his hand at the very bottom of Sam's bump and pushed down but Sam squirmed.  
"No, that's my bladder." She stated.  
"Oh... Sorry." Tom laughed a little bit as Sam tried to get comfortable again before she put her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. "You know, we've always tried to be as open as possible together." Tom began slowly and Sam opened her eyes because he sounded like he was going to say something serious.  
"Yes." Sam replied quietly.

"Well, can we... Talk about intercourse?" He asked awkwardly. "Because I know how tired you are and how much stress you're under. But sometimes when I think you're in the mood for something like that, I'm scared to act on it because I don't want to force you into anything. And I know we haven't done anything for a while, we don't have to but... Well just, could you talk to me about what you want? Please?" Tom asked.

"Yeah sure. Sorry, I didn't realise you felt like that." Sam admitted.  
"It's alright." Tom said softly so he continued to massage Sam's bump.  
"Well, I know we can't do anything of that sort when I'm on bed rest because Mr T said I can't but we've still got a month until then and... Well yeah I have been tired but hopefully that should get a bit better becuase I haven't got to work anymore. I do want to make love with you it's just... I'm a bit worried about it being uncomfortable." Sam admitted.  
"Well, when you're in the mood, we can try a few different positions and see what's best for you." Tom suggested. "Does that sound okay?"  
"Yeah. But you'll have to wear a condom." She stated. "The prostaglandins in your semen can cause my mucus plug to start to wear away and I do not want that. It might cause early labour." Sam stated.  
"Of course. That sounds brilliant to me." Tom nodded and he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders because he wasn't sure how Sam would react when he brought the topic up. He massaged all of the moisturiser into her bump properly, before they both had a cuddle and went to sleep.

**Thanks for reading this very long chapter! Please review :)**


	13. Chapter 13

It reached Monday and it was the first day that Tom had work and Sam didn't. Still at 20 weeks gone, she had had a nice lie in, before her filling, healthy breakfast of porridge and a fruit salad. And once she had eaten, showered and gotten dressed, she decided to begin packing. She wanted to take it easy, so she began with sorting out her draws in her bedroom which she could thankfully sit on her bed whilst doing so to keep her comfortable.

She decided that it would be fine for her to pack her clothes that she hadn't fitted into for months away for their move so she carefully got a suitcase from on top of the wardrobe and laid it out on the bed before she began to pack her small shorts and vest tops away.

* * *

After his first day of leaving Sam at home, Tom had the small sense of hope that he would come home to a tidied flat and a home cooked meal. But he knew that it wouldn't be the case and it wasn't fair to expect that much of Sam anyway so he wasn't surprised when he entered the flat and noticed that the carpet still hadn't been hoovered, and there weren't any enticing smells coming from the kitchen.  
"Sam?" Tom called out as he checked the living room and the kitchen, before he found her tucked up under the duvet in bed, fast asleep. Shouting out her name caused her to stir so she opened her eyes and watched her husband crouch down besides her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered. "Right, what do you want for dinner?" He asked as he gave her a little assistance in sitting up. "I think I'll need to pop to tescos because we haven't got much milk or bread left." He added.

"Um... Can we have steak with garlic new potatoes and... Roasted vegetables?" Sam queried.  
"Of course we can, I love a bit of steak." Tom smiled. "Anything else you want me to get while I'm out?"  
"Some dark chocolate wouldn't go amiss." Sam said sheepishly. "Or some strawberries covered in melted dark chocolate would be even better." Sam stated was she ran her hands through her hair. "Woah, good evening to you too." Sam smirked as she felt a rather firm jolt in her side. Tom reached his hands forward and rested them on Sam's bump whilst he continued with the mental shopping list so that he could feel any other kicks.  
"Any toiletries that you need?" He asked.  
"Nope. Oh um actually, I've nearly ran out of that facial scrub clean and clear stuff." Sam stated. "And don't forget we need condoms." She added quietly when she suddenly felt another kick. "Okay, I don't know what you're getting excited about." Sam stated as she pointed her finger at the bump.

"Maybe they're just happy that mummy and daddy are going to make love to each other." Tom said smugly.  
"Not tonight they're not. Maybe tomorrow." Sam stated and Tom's face lit up. "I said maybe." She stated and Tom nodded in acceptance.  
"You hear that little ones?" Tom said as he cupped Sam's bump in his hands. "Me and mummy are going to-"  
"Tom, don't." Sam interrupted.  
"Why not? They're not going to know what we're getting up to if that's what you're worried about." Tom said softly.

" I know just... Don't _say_ that to them." Sam said quietly.  
"Okay, can I tell a story to them then?" He asked curiously.  
"If you must." Sam replied so Tom cleared his throat.  
"Once upon a time..."

* * *

The next day, Tom arrived home after a busy day in the ED to a rich enticing aroma that filled the flat.  
"Something smells good." Tom smiled as he entered the kitchen to find Sam chopping up fruit - presumably for desert. She was wearing just a tight white vest top and black leggings with her hair tied in a messy bun to keep it out of her face. She was having to reach the counter at an angle because her bump was in the way so she was leaning forward.  
"Lasagne. And it's nearly done." Sam stated proudly.  
"What a lovely surprise." Tom smiled as he wrapped his arms around Sam from behind.  
"And, I had a lie in until about midday so I'm up for a bit of love making once we've let dinner get down." Sam stated.  
"Sounds great." Tom whispered into Sam's ear before he pecked her on the cheek and slapped her on the bum.

"Oi!" She squealed as she turned around with the sharp knife in her hand to which Tom put his hands up in surrender.  
"Woah! Crazy hormonal pregnant woman, put the knife down." Tom ordered. Sam hadn't realised that she had been waving the knife at him so she quickly put it down.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"  
"It's alright." Tom smiled because he knew otherwise she would go into a rant about how it wasn't intended and she couldn't have forgiven herself if she had actually hurt him. Suddenly, the oven's timer went off and Tom's face lit up. "Ooh, dinner's done!" He smiled as he grabbed two plates out of the cupboard followed by two knives and forks.  
"Don't forget the ketchup." Sam stated as she pulled the oven gloves on.  
"Ketchup? With lasagne?" He queried and Sam nodded so he laughed. "Let me guess, this is baby... F that wants it?" Tom queried jokily as he began serving up the meal onto the two plates - he gave more to Sam to ensure she was eating enough but there was plenty there; she had followed a recipe that served six.  
"Nope, Baby G." Sam corrected jokily and Tom shook his head.

* * *

Sam and Tom were sitting on the sofa after eating their delicious lasagne followed by a fruit salad with yogurt watching TV.  
"C'mon, gimme a hand up." Sam ordered as she held her hands out. Tom stood up and pulled her to her own two feet.  
"Why're you getting up?" He asked curiosity, though he had an inkling of her intentions.  
"Why don't you come and see?" Sam said suggestively as she waddled to the bedroom. Tom slowly but eagerly followed behind her and closed the bedroom door...

* * *

The wait had certainly been worth it for both parties as their love making session had brought them extreme pleasure. Sam and Tom laid naked under the duvet, spooning together after deciding that they had had enough because they were both getting tired. Tom had his hands resting on Sam's enlarged abdomen when he suddenly felt his hand being pushed. He smiled as he felt the movements of his children.  
"Wow, they're really at it this time." Sam stated as she turned onto her back, let out a small groan, and pulled back the duvet. Both watched attentively as her bump moved caused by her children wriggling.  
"Was that a hand?!" Tom asked excitedly as he watched something move briefly across the surface of Sam's skin before it disappeared again.  
"I don't know." Sam smiled. "It seems impossible that there's eight in there." She admitted as she rested her hand on the top of her bump under her bust where her little girl, Baby H, was.  
"Well, they're all having a very long, very tight hug." Tom joked. "And I don't think that they have anything to worry about a lack of milk." Tom joked as he glanced at Sam's bare, engorged chest.

"Oi, stop it." Sam ordered as she pulled the duvet over her because she was getting a bit self conscious without the protection of the cover.  
"Sorry but they're hard to miss." Tom stated defensively.  
"So is a fat person but it doesn't mean that you stare at them all the time." Sam stated.  
"Ah, touché." Tom smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Imogen called by the way, they think that the house is going to be ready for us by next week."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. I'm going to try and organise it so that I can take the Friday off, and we can move on Friday. Then I've got two days to settle in before I go back to work." Tom explained.  
"Okay... Don't you think it's going to be a bit weird living in a massive house by ourselves?"  
"No. It just means that we've got no one to disturb us and plenty of time to go exploring." Tom smirked and Sam smiled to herself.

"Listen, I um, I heard Robyn the other day talking about throwing a baby shower for me when I'm on bed rest so I've got company but..."  
"But you don't want one do you?" Tom stated rather than asked. "I'm guessing you want me to talk her out of it." He added and Sam nodded. "Okay."

They laid there for a little longer in silence enjoying each other's company with their bare legs entwined when Tom decided to speak up.  
"I can't believe we're gonna be parents soon." He whispered.  
"I know. How on earth am I supposed to trust you to look after _one_ of them let alone _eight_?" Sam joked and Tom playfully tickled her. "Tom stop!" She shrieked.  
"Take it back." He ordered as he continued to trail his fingers around her hips and under her arms.  
"I take it back!" She protested and Tom stopped. "Jesus Christ Tom, don't do that." She moaned as she tried to catch her breath back.  
"Sorry." Tom apologised as he pecked her on the cheek. "Right, I think it's nearly bedtime so do you want me to make you a hot chocolate?" He queried.  
"Can I have some of that strawberry milkshake stuff instead? It's too hot for hot drinks." Sam stated as she used the duvet to fan her body.  
"Well I wonder why you're so hot..." Tom joked. "Right, I'll be right back." He patted her bump before he disappeared into the kitchen, still wearing no clothes.

A few minutes later, he returned with her cool beverage and they settled down for the night. But would the move to their new home go smoothly?

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**10am**

Sam and Tom had just left their flat, ready to go to their new home. At 21 weeks pregnant, Sam was sitting in the passenger seat besides her husband hoping that everything would go as planned. The removal van had already arrived at their new home and Sam and Tom were just going to meet it there because thankfully, Imogen and the rest of goodbye magazine had decided to let the couple settle in themselves.

They had only actually seen their house on the inside once before, but that was weeks ago when the previous family's furniture was still inside it so it didn't seem real. However, when they pulled up outside their new home to see the 16 seater, white minivan on their driveway and the van with their things in parked at the side of the road, it had begun to hit home.

"Right." Tom concluded as he put on the handbrake and undone his seatbelt after parking on the spacious driveway - they had sold Sam's car because they had the mini van along with Tom's car, and the money would certainly be needed in the future. "Do not lift anything even slightly heavy or large." Tom ordered. He got out of the car and walked around her side before he helped his pregnant wife out of the car and onto her feet. "Right, you've got the plans as to where everything's going haven't you?" Tom asked the removals men - there was just two of them because their previous furniture was part of the agreement and it came with the flat, so all that they had with them was their clothes and other possessions including a rather large collection of DVDs.

"Yeah." One of the men replied as he opened the two doors of the van up.  
"Right, seeing as I'm not allowed to lift a feather, I'm going to go and see what goodbye magazine's idea of a 'fully stocked kitchen' is." Sam stated as she took the bunch of keys off of Tom and waddled towards the front door. Tom seemed more than content with letting her do that becuase it didn't involve lifting so he decided to help the men to make the job quicker.

* * *

The men were just putting the suitcases filled with clothes in Sam and Tom's large master bedroom on the first floor when Sam poked her head around the door.  
"Do you three want a bacon sandwich?" She asked and Tom stood up properly and wiped his forehead after lifting Sam's main suitcase onto the bed.  
"Yes please." Tom nodded. He was perfectly happy for Sam to do that because he had thought that she would be getting in the way and trying to lift things.  
"Yeah, that'd be lovely thanks." One of the men smiled.  
"Yep, great." The second stated.  
"And tea? Or coffee?" She asked.  
"Er tea no sugar thanks." Tom replied.  
"Black coffee one sugar."  
"Black coffee and no sugar because-"  
"He's sweet enough." The other man interrupted. "I bet you've never heard that one before." He joked and Sam smiled before she left and headed downstairs to cook them all a late breakfast.

* * *

It wasn't until early afternoon that everything was unpacked and the couple were finally alone and ready to explore their new home.  
"Right, care for a tour my lady?" Tom asked poshly as he linked arms with his wife.  
"Depends if I get a foot rub at the end of it." Sam stated sheepishly.  
"Of course. C'mon." He smiled and they went around their vast new home. There were nine bedrooms in total, seven of which were ensuite. But only one was currently being used. There were three cots in their master bedroom where the octuplets would co-sleep for the first few months of their life, until they would each have a cot bed shared in two bedrooms - the boys in one room and the girls in another because didn't plan on letting their kids have their own bedrooms until they were much more independent.

Three of the spare bedrooms were being used for storage for hundreds of nappies and other supplies, including lots of toys and a few play sets designed to be put in the garden when their children were older.

Aside from the bedrooms were five living rooms, a large kitchen two dining rooms, a games room -with gym equipment-, a study, a utility room, two family bathrooms, a garage and a massive grass garden with a patio and decking area. All of which was perfect for the couple expecting their new family's arrival in a just a few months time...

* * *

At 22 weeks pregnant, Sam had just arrived in Mr T's consult room with her husband on the day that the soon-to-be parents were going to be allowed entry to NICU, the very unit that their babies would soon be in and it had only just been refurbished. There were two other neonatal intensive care units at Holby City General Hosptial because each one could only hold a maximum of eight babies, however the third one was rarely in use and so it was being kept clear just for the Kent Octuplets.  
"Right, are you ready?" Mr T asked.  
"Yep." Tom replied as he got up and then waited for his wife to go first before the three made their way to the unit.

"So, you'll have four babies on the left and four on the right... Now, I know you know about intubation and ventilators so I don't need to explain that. But basically the requirements for your babies to be discharged are what the neonatal team are going to be constantly focusing on and there's three main boxes to be ticked. Number one is can they maintain a steady temp in an open cot for 24-48 hours without requiring warming up or cooling down. Number two is can they manage their feeds and keep them down without needing supplements. And number three is are they gaining weight at a good rate." Mr T explained as Sam and Tom stared at the plastic doll attached to various monitors in an incubator, sealed off from the world to keep it safe. "I know it's a lot to take in so, are there any questions?" He asked softly.

"When can I get out of bed after the c section?" Sam asked bluntly.  
"You mean, to come down and see your babies?" He asked and she nodded. "Well,  
probably not for a few hours at the very least but we promise we will keep you informed frequently and I'm sure Tom can show you some pictures if possible. It'll all depend on when we take the epidural out." He explained. "Have you got any toys for them to go in their incubators?" He asked to change the subject.

"Oh um, yeah. There's one toy each and a sleep suit and little hat for them." Sam stated as she pulled a carrier bag out of her hand bag containing eight white baby sleep suits, eight white hats and eight small plush toys - a meerkat, a horse, a duck, a bunny, a lamb, a panda, a penguin and a teddy.  
"Right, well I'll get them sterilised for the birth then." Mr T stated as he took the bag off of her.

* * *

**9pm**  
Tom was reading the thin book of the three pigs to Sam's bare bump so that his babies would get used to the sound of his voice, just like their mother's and usually, his story would send Sam off to sleep, however he had just gotten to the end and she was wide awake. He put the book on his bedside and then laid next to her on the bed in their massive new home.  
"It was a bit scary seeing it all like that wasn't it?" Tom said softly and his wife nodded. She was feeling weepy so she decided it was best not to talk unless she had to. "But at least they'll all be sharing a room together from the very start. Just imagine, give it a few years and they'll be arguing over who gets to go on the swings first." He said softly in the hope that it would cheer her up.

"I don't want them to die Tom." Sam croaked as she took a deep breath to combat her tears, but the battle was inevitable as a single tear rolled smoothly down her cheek.  
"Oh Sam." Tom whispered. "Come here." He said as he pulled her into his arms. Sam even managed to shock her own husband as she began sobbing into his chest. She had barely cried at all throughout her pregnancy. In fact, it had only been once when Tom had left her for one night after their argument about abortion, but it wasn't the hormones making her cry, it was her maternal instinct and the bond that she had developed with her babies over the recent months. "I don't want that to happen either." He stated. "And hopefully it won't because we have the best medical team possible, each of our little girls and boys has their own nurse, their own doctor and their own consultant so they've got an amazing care team. And best of all they've got you as their mum. So if they've got even a fraction of your fighting spirit, they'll be just fine."

Tom soothed his wife as her sobs became smaller and smaller, until they were no more than a hiccup when she finally stopped and became limp in his arms - she had cried herself to sleep. Without disturbing her too much, Tom reached behind him and switched the light off, before he too settled down.  
"Night night sweetheart." Tom whispered as he pecked Sam on the forehead. "And night night my babies." He added as he gave Sam's bump one last stroke before he fell asleep.

**The next chapter is Sam when she gets put on bed rest at 24 weeks. Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**8:15am**

Sam and Tom had just been shown to their room where they would be staying until the birth of their babies which would hopefully be at an elective Caesarian at 34 weeks. Thankfully, Mr T had organised for there to be a bed in the room that was designed for bariatric patients so it was extra wide and could easily accommodate the couple, even if Sam was heavily pregnant. Along with the bed, there was an ensuite bathroom, a comfortable reclining armchair and a few cupboards for storage.

Unfortunately, Tom had to go to work at half past but they'd have to get used to it because Tom would be working right up to the babies' birth because of the ridiculous paternity leave rules.  
"Well, this room isn't too bad is it?" Tom said as he lifted the three large holdalls onto the bed - one contained Sam's things, another for Tom's and the third contained food supplies for Sam's high calorie diet.  
"Nope." Sam replied simply as she began lowering the wide bed so that she could get on it by herself. She was only 24 weeks, but carrying eight babies twenty four hours a day, seven days a week was exhausting. As Tom began to unpack their bags in the bedside cupboards, Mr T and a nurse came into the room.

"Right Sam, we need a blood sample, urine sample, and we need to hook you up to a BP monitor and I just want to perform an ultrasound okay." Mr T explained.  
"I'll do the urine sample first." Sam stated because she was bursting however Mr T stopped her.  
"No, it's probably best that we do the ultrasound first while you've got a full bladder." He stated. Sam sighed before she climbed onto the bed with her husbands help whilst the nurse prepped the ultrasound machine. "Right, just so you know, you are high risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia so we will be monitoring your blood pressure and urine to check for protein. And I want you to make sure that you tell someone if you have blurred vision, headaches, vomiting or if you feel unwell okay?" Mr T explained as he put a blood pressure cuff on Sam's upper arm.  
"Yep." Sam nodded.  
"Right, I'll stay for the ultrasound but I'd better be heading off after.' Tom said quietly to his wife.  
"Okay, we'll get a move on then." Mr T smiled as he put the lubricating gel on the transducer probe and then placed it on Sam's bump after she had rolled her shirt up. He began at the very bottom of Sam's bump and worked his way to the top like usual. "Right, baby A is looking good... Baby B is- ooh, they're on the move." Mr T smiled as he felt his hand being jogged slightly.  
"I know." Sam smiled to herself as she focused on trying to work out who was moving, though she never really knew, it was just fun to do. Mr T waited until they stated still before he resumed the scan.

"Right, Baby B just kicked his brother by the looks of it." Mr T couldn't help but smirk, neither could Tom. "Baby C's spina bifida is looking pretty much the same. I think considering his size, it may be a week or two after birth until we can operate on him. Baby D..." He paused for a few moments as he searched around Sam's womb before he took the probe off of her. "Right, they're all the same pretty much. But Baby F and Baby H are still very small." He explained as Sam wiped the tell off of her bump and then pulled her shirt back over it.  
"Okay." Sam nodded as she held Tom's hand.  
"Right, nurse do you want to take the blood sample please?" Mr T suggested and the nurse did so by taking a small amount of Sam's blood from her arm. "Okay, now urine sample." Mr T ordered as he handed Sam a small tube. She took it and slowly waddled to the ensuite. A few minutes later she returned and handed the pot of pale yellow liquid to her consultant before she climbed back onto the bed. "Thank you. Right, now I don't want you to get out of bed for anything other than going to the toilet, and if you want anything just press the buzzer. I'll leave you to it." He said before he and the nurse left the room.

"Right, here's your laptop and one of the parenting books." Tom stated as he took them from the bag and put them on the beside table. "And here is your lunch and snacks." He stated as he placed a plastic container and a bag of various bits and pieces for her to eat besides it. "Is there anything else you want before I leave?" He asked as he pulled his jacket on.  
"A hug?" Sam asked and Tom smiled as he went besides Sam's bed and pulled her into a hug, though their chests never got anywhere near each other anymore because of her bump; he could only just manage to wrap his arms all the way around her. "Go on, off you go. Otherwise Zoe'll be on your tail." Sam stated as she eventually pulled away.  
"You sure you're gonna be alright on your own?"  
"Tom, I've got nurses serving me hand, foot and finger, I'll be fine." Sam stated. "Besides, I'm not on my own, I've got these eight to keep me company." She said proudly as she patted her bump.

"Right, I'll come and see you at lunch." He stated as he pecked her on the cheek before he quickly made his way down to the ED. Once he had gone, Sam pulled out her stethoscope from her bag and planted it on the top of her bump just under her bra. She could tell that she was already favouriting baby H and she felt guilty about it, but she just felt that the smallest girl was going to be her 'little girl' as she listened to her fast heartbeat. Listening to the steady, gentle thump, distorted by the amniotic fluid, Sam slowly let herself fall asleep...

* * *

**6pm**  
Tom was sitting next to Sam on the bed, talking about baby stuff when Sam suddenly leant forward and clutched her bump.  
"Ah." She muttered.  
"Sam? Sam what's wrong?" Tom asked worriedly as he repeatedly pressed the button for a nurse to come in.  
"I..." She finally let out a deep breath before she settled back into Tom's arms. "No no no no no that... No it's too early it can't be." Sam said quickly.  
"What? Was that a contraction?" Tom asked.  
"I think so." Sam admitted and Tom grabbed his wife's hand for support when a nurse burst into the room.

"Get Mr T now. Tell him it's urgent." Tom ordered. The nurse nodded before she sprinted out of the room. "It's alright, just stay calm." Tom said softly as he rubbed Sam's tensed back. "Do you want some water?" He asked but she shook her head - she could do nothing but fear for her babies.

Mr T burst into the room to find Sam sitting upright on the bed with a face of pure panic. Whilst her husband was presumably trying not to panic as he rubbed her back.  
"Right, what's happening?" Mr T demanded - he couldn't let her have the babies then, it was far too early becuase she was only 24 weeks and the babies would be almost certain to die that prematurely.  
"We think she had a contraction um just a few minutes ago and it lasted about twenty seconds." Tom explained quickly as he jumped off of the bed and then laid it slightly flatter.  
"Okay Sam, can you just roll your shirt up a little bit for me please?" Mr T asked and Sam nodded as she pulled her shirt as far up as she could - she had to do everything she could to prevent her babies coming at that moment and to her, even a couple of milliseconds mattered. Mr T rubbed his hands together to warm them up before he gently palpated Sam's abdomen right at the bottom which made her feel uncomfortable. "Right, have you had any more back pain than usual?" He asked and Sam shook her head. "And it was just the one contraction yes?" He asked and Sam nodded. "Well it might've just been a Braxton hicks contraction. The first ones can definitely startle mums sometimes when they're not sure what it is." He explained.

"It wasn't Braxton hicks, I know what they feel like. I can't go into labour now, it's too early." Sam looked pleadingly at the consultant as Tom could only watch and do nothing.  
"Okay, don't panic. Have you had your show?" He asked.  
"No."  
"Have you had an increase in the amount of discharge you have? Or an upset stomach or loose bowels?"  
"No nothing like that." Sam relied quickly.  
"Well it's pretty unlikely that you're in labour. But don't worry, we will be keeping a very close eye on you tonight okay. Now your blood and urine samples from earlier came back fine so I think it's just a false alar-"

"Aah!" Sam interrupted as she bent over again and hung her head. Tom leapt forward and placed his hand on her back, whilst Mr T placed his hand on Sam's bump, only to be relieved by what he felt. A few moments later, she straightened back up again, but she was looking even more worried than she had been before.  
"Right Sam, I think this is just false labour." Mr T stated.  
"How do you know?" Sam asked.  
"Because false labour contractions start and finish in your lower abdomen whereas actual labour contractions start in your lower back and spread like a wave through you until they reach the front of your stomach." He explained and Sam closed her eyes as she felt like an idiot. "Don't worry, it's perfectly understandable for you to panic. But I think all that's required here is for you to drink plenty of fluids this evening, and a warm bath should hopefully stop the contractions."

* * *

A mere ten minutes, and two infrequent 'contractions' later, Sam was in the birthing pool in her ensuite bathroom in the really warm water as she sat on on her husband's naked lap sideways, because in water she was weightless. Neither were wearing anything as they relaxed in the large tub and for both, the water was relaxing their muscles after a long day.  
"Are you feeling better now?" Tom asked curiously as he stroked her wet hair; her body was perpendicular to his as she rested the side of her head on his chest.  
"Mmhmm." Sam mumbled sleepily.  
"You lot gave us a right scare, you did." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arm under Sam's bump.  
"How do you just talk to them like that? I just feel like an idiot if I do it." Sam admitted.

"Well, the only people here is you and me. And just think, if our babies get used to our voices, then we might be able to settle them in NICU when they can't be held. I mean, they'll know your voice because they listen to it all the time which is why I try and speak to them every day. But look, if you feel stupid, why don't you just speak to me about them, and I'm sure they're listening." Tom suggested.  
"But I don't know what to say."  
"Alright then. Answer this: who do you think is going to be more cheeky? Boys or girls?" Tom asked.  
"Definitely the boys, if they take after you." Sam stated.  
"Are you trying to say that daddy's cheeky?" Tom queried and Sam couldn't help but laugh. "What?" He protested.

"How do you not feel stupid?!"  
"Alright then, we'll leave it there. Tell you what, when I read them their story tonight, you can join in."  
"Okay then." Sam nodded reluctantly.  
"Y'know, you're actually lucky about being on bed rest because we've got air con in here, and there's a heatwave outside and it's only the beginning of June." He stated. Summer had already arrived and outside was absolutely scorching - presumably to make up for an extra wet winter. "Speaking of which, it's our six month wedding anniversary soon." Tom smiled.  
"Don't go getting presents or cards or anything like that, it'll just be a waste of money that we'll need for the babies." Sam stated.  
"Okay. How about we just have a nice meal? I could order in a takeaway or I could cook a homemade meal, it's up to you." Tom offered.  
"Um... How about we just watch a movie in here and have one of them party food boxes from tescos that's got the various chicken bits in with potato skins?" Sam suggested.  
"Yep, that sounds fine to me." Tom nodded.

* * *

Sam and Tom were laying in the extra wide hospital bed in their nightwear under the thin sheet. Tom had one arm around his wife, and used his other to hold the small story book.  
"Right, you settled?" Tom asked.  
"Yep." Sam nodded so Tom opened the book to the first page. "Just to make it clear, I am not doing the voices." Sam stated.  
"Why not?" Tom protested.  
"Because the whole point of this was so that they'd get to know _my_ voice, and so that I didn't feel stupid." Sam stated sternly.  
"Alright then. No voices." Tom reluctantly agreed and glanced at her before they both began reading to their eight children.  
"Once upon a time..."

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**14th June 2014**

At 26 weeks pregnant, Sam was taking it very easy and she only got out of her hospital bed to go to the toilet - she only took walks very rarely after the scare of false labour. It was Sam and Tom's six month wedding anniversary and Tom just wanted to make sure his wife enjoyed the day, though in the morning, she had been having a lie in and he had had to leave for work without speaking to her, like he did most mornings.

Sam was enormous and literally walking to the toilet got her out of breath. She needed assistance getting on and off the bed, though she was good at keeping herself occupied on bed rest by either reading parenting books, playing games on her ipad or writing her essay about octuplet pregnancy that she hoped to publish after the birth.

It was 5:15pm when Tom arrived back from work to find Sam fast asleep in bed so he decided to put his plan into action. They couldn't have sexual intercourse because it had been forbidden by Sam's multiple doctors - not that she'd be able to take part in such things anyway - so they had settled on a romantic DVD: The Notebook. He had already put their dinner on in the maternity staffroom oven - he had been given permission by Mr T to use the facilities because the hospital couldn't cater for Sam high calorie diet - so he quietly entered the room and began to set up the DVD on the laptop. Once that was sorted, he opened one of the cupboards that Sam thought was empty and took out the large box of assorted heart shaped chocolate truffles.

He waited for the food to cook and to pass the time, he sat in the chair besides Sam's bed and watched his wife peacefully sleeping on her side with her arms protectively guarding her bump. When the timer on his phone began to buzz, he quickly jumped up and sprinted to the kitchen.

* * *

"Sam... Come on sleepy head, rise and shine." Tom said softly as he smiled at his wife who looked so innocent and vulnerable as she slowly awoke from her deep slumber. "Happy six month anniversary." He smiled as he pecked her on the lips.  
"You too." Sam replied as she slowly sat up on the bed. "Oh my god..." She trailed off as she saw that on the bedside table that came over the bed and hovered across her legs had the DVD with the movie set up and next to it was a long rectangular plate containing various flavoured and breaded chicken along with cheese and bacon potato skins with a pot of sour cream and chive sauce. And by her feet was a large box of chocolates. "Tom!" Sam laughed happily at the effort that he had put in.

"C'mon, shuffle over so I can squeeze in." Tom said as he got right on the edge of the bed and then he pulled the bedside table over as close to them as possible before it touched Sam's bump. "Right, enjoy." He smiled as he picked up a bit of chicken and shoved it in his mouth before he wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders and pressed the play button for the movie.

* * *

It was nearing the end of The Notebook, and in all honesty Tom knew how it ended and he had just hoped that Sam would've fallen asleep by then. But instead, she was watching attentively with a full stomach and a completely rested mind. The meal and the chocolates had both been consumed and were delicious in Sam's opinion. Though she had made a comment about it only being a small box, despite it being the largest on the shelf. The credits had just began rolling when Tom saw a tear roll down Sam's cheek, followed by several others.  
"I knew you'd cry, that's why I said let's watch a comedy film but no, you wanted to watch this." Tom joked as he handed her a few tissues from the box besides him.  
"Shut up and hold me." Sam ordered as she turned to her side a little and laid her head on his chest.

Tom smirked as he wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled the cover up over them.  
"Just think, it was exactly six months ago, that you and me consummated our marriage and you conceived our eight little miracles." He whispered.  
"Mm, and then in the morning, you tried to be romantic by getting up early and cooking breakfast, but instead you got out of bed, walked around the side of it and fell on top of me and woke me up." Sam stated quietly and both of them laughed at the memory. Sam wiped her eyes and nose with the tissues before she resumed her smile after composing herself.  
"How do you know that I didn't intend to jump on top of you?" Tom asked sheepishly.  
"Because you told me after you'd done it that you were going to make breakfast but you fell over." Sam stated bluntly.  
"Oh yeah..." Tom smirked before he yawned.

"Not tired are we?" Sam joked.  
"Well some of us have been working all day unlike you sleeping beauty." Tom retorted but he suddenly regretted the statement. "Sam I- I didn't mean that sorry sorry sorry I-"  
"It's fine, Tom. Honestly." Sam interrupted because she knew he hadn't meant anything by it and besides he was only being honest. "God, you just think that because I'm pregnant, I'm going to cry at everything don't you?" She joked to change the subject.

"Well you cried at a soppy movie." Tom stated and Sam elbowed him.  
"They died Tom!" Sam protested.  
"Yeah well, don't blame me if you have nightmares because I told you not to watch it." Tom stated. "Which gets us around to bedtime and story time." Tom stated.  
"Can we skip story time for tonight? I'm too tired." Sam sighed as she snuggled into Tom's arms.  
"Don't you need the toilet? You haven't been since I got back from work and even then you'd probably been sleeping for a while."  
"I do need the toilet, I just can't be bothered to get up." Sam admitted. "And my back's hurting." She added.  
"Oh..." He said sympathetically. "You want me to get you a bed pan?" Tom asked kindly and Sam shot him a glance. "Look, it'll save you getting out of bed and I promise I won't look. Yeah?" He said softly and Sam reluctantly nodded. "Maybe I should speak to Mr T about getting a catheter put in." He suggested as he slid off of the bed and looked for a bedpan in the cupboards. "Maybe just leave it out for a few hours in the mornings but otherwise leave it in for the rest of the day and overnight." He added as he took the plastic bedpan out.

"Sounds like a good idea." Sam nodded.  
"This is just number one right? I don't do number twos." Tom joked and Sam pulled a sarcastic face at him. "Okay, trousers and underwear down and then lift your pelvis up please." Tom said quietly and Sam did as she was told whilst Tom helped her to keep the bed cover over her. Once she elevated her pelvis, Tom slipped the bed pan underneath her, made sure that it was in place before he sat her bed up so she was at a better angle. "You want me to wait outside?" He asked and Sam nodded. "Alright, just gimme a shout when you're done and I'll come and help you." Tom said quietly. He placed a box of tissues besides her before he left the room and pulled the door to.

Tom went outside and stood there, waiting patiently when after a few minutes he heard her call out.  
"Tom?"  
"Yep." He replied as he entered and closed the door behind him. "You finished?" He asked and she nodded. "Okay, lift up for me." He said and Sam grimaced as she arched her back to lift her bum. Tom slipped the bedpan out from underneath her and the covers and whilst he went to the ensuite to clean it Sam pulled her clothes back up. "Right, bedtime. And seeing as it's _our_ anniversary, not the kids', I'll skip the story for tonight." Tom said as he climbed back into bed.  
"Night night." Sam mumbled as she rested her head on her husband's chest.  
"Night. I love you." He whispered into her ear which sent a tingly shiver down her spine and they soon fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The next afternoon, Sam and Tom were sitting on the bed having a chat whilst Tom was on his lunch break. He was sitting, in his scrubs, cross legged at the end of her bed facing her, whilst she was comfortably lying back against the pillows to prop her up.  
"Yeah I know but- hang on, who's that?" Sam asked as she pointed to a man outside the room looking in on them. She suddenly realised that he had a camera as it's flash momentarily blinded the couple.  
"Oi!" Tom shouted as he jumped off of the bed and then chased out of the room. Sam was left sitting wondering what to do, when a few minutes later, a red Tom and Mr T came into the room. "What an absolute-" Tom muttered and he stopped because he didn't want to swear in the presence of his children. "He told the nurse at reception that he was your dad." Tom stated angrily.

"It's alright, security will deal with him." Mr T stated. "I am sorry that he got in, the nurse at reception is only a trainee. But I can assure you that it won't happen again." He explained. "And Sam, I need you to try and calm down because your heart rate is up a lot." He warned after glancing at her monitors.  
"I am calming down, I just didn't know who he was. He gave me a fright." Sam stated and the consultant nodded.  
"Right, is there anything I can do or get for you?" Mr T asked.  
"No thanks." Sam replied so the man left the room.  
"Right, I'd better get going too, back to the ED. Unless you want me to take the afternoon off." Tom added.  
"No, honestly I'll be fine. You go." Sam smiled.  
"Oh I get it, you just want to get rid of me so you can catch 40 winks." Tom smirked as he put his stethoscope around his neck.  
"Of course not." Sam lie unconvincingly before her husband gave her a kiss and got on his way.

* * *

**7pm**  
Sam slowly opened her eyes to see her husband sitting next to her.  
"I've got some good news and I've got some bad news." Tom stated. "But I'm pretty sure the good news outweighs the bad news by far." He added.  
"Right." Sam replied hesitantly as she wondered what he had been up to.  
"Basically, the man that snuck in here earlier put your picture on the internet with a news story about you being hospitalised for a serious problem with the babies. That's the bad news, but the _good_ news is that I rang up the website and threatened to sue them if they didn't remove it immediately but they said that they couldn't do that because once it was up, it was up. Now because they can't take it down, I said I'll take it to court then and sue them, however they begged me to take a cash settlement to prevent us from taking them to court." Tom explained.  
"What kind of cash settlement?" Sam asked.  
"Take a guess."

"£10,000?" She asked but Tom shook his head.  
"Much higher." He stated.  
"Just tell me." She ordered becuase she had only just woken up and she wasn't in her he mood for a guessing game.  
"£500,000!" Tom said slowly and Sam's mouth almost hit the floor out of pure shock.  
"Say honestly." She ordered.  
"Honestly, they're paying us that much to stop us from taking it to court." Tom stated.  
"No way!" She laughed but Tom just nodded.  
"Sam calm down a bit for our babies." Tom ordered as he took her hand into his to ensure that she did settle a little Because her heart rate was elevated.  
"So now we've got our savings, the £25,000 from goodbye magazine and £500,000 from the website." Sam said to herself to make it clear.  
"Celebratory hug?" Tom suggested and Sam nodded as they both leant forwards and embraced in a hug.

"Well I think that's our money issues sorted out for a few years." Sam stated.  
"Well it depends how fussy the kids are." Tom joked. Oddly, he heard a sniffle over his shoulder and as he pulled out of their hug, he noticed that Sam was trying not to cry. "Hey, what's wrong?" Tom asked softly.  
"I... I'm scared Tom. I'm really scared." She admitted.  
"Scared about what?" He asked worriedly.  
"Early labour, the birth, NICU- everything Tom. We might have money but nothing is guaranteed and we have no control." She blurted out.  
"Listen to me okay there are plenty of guarantees. Firstly, we know that our babies are going to have the best care possible. We know that you are doing your very best to prevent early labour. And best of all, I know that me and you are in this together. I know that I'm not the one having the c section, but whatever happens, I'm gonna be here for you 100%. I promise." Tom explained gently. "And you're 26 weeks pregnant. You've already prevented labour for far longer time than most people expected." He added. "Now then, what do you want for dinner? Because you must be starving." He stated.

"Um... I fancy... A BBQ." Sam stated.  
"As in?" Tom queried.  
"Ribs, a burger, potato wedges and salad. Ooh and a corn on the cob." Sam stated.  
"That's an odd combination." Tom stated. "Right, I'll have to run to tescos and then it'll take time to cook it so don't be expecting it in twenty minutes." Tom added.  
"Just be as quick as you can. And make sure that you get onion for the burger and put celery in the salad." She ordered.  
"Celery with a barbecue?" Tom queried. "Y'know what, forget it I'm not even going to ask. You can have whatever you want." He blurted out as he pulled his coat on. "See you soon." He said as he pecked her on the forehead and then began to jog down to his car.

**Coming up: when Sam goes into premature labour, will they be able to postpone the birth or not? Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**2am**

In the dimly lit hospital room, Sam was in Tom's arms and both were fast asleep. At 31 weeks pregnant, Sam was well and truly exhausted and every muscle, bone and ligament in her body was aching, though that wasn't helped by her constant bed rest that she had been on for seven weeks. She went for a short work two or three times a week but other than that she spent her time reading, writing her essay and planning how she was going to cope after running every eventuality of what could happen after the birth through her mind.

Tom awoke to movement and realised that his sleeping wife was fidgeting in his arms. She looked a little red so he pressed the back of his hand, gently against her forehead and realised that she was slightly getting warm. He pulled the bed sheets off of her to help her to cool down a little only she began to fidget again and then she opened her eyes.  
"Ugh... I feel awful." She whispered sleepily as she rubbed her bump intensely.  
"What kind of awful?" He asked quietly.  
"Ill awful." Sam stated.  
"As in flu?" He queried but Sam shook her head.  
"I feel sick and my stomach's churning." She moaned as she pressed her head back onto Tom's chest. Slowly, Tom reached behind him and pressed the button that would bring medical attention to them within minutes because he didn't want to take any chances. "You don't think this is..." Sam trailed off as she couldn't even bring herself to say the words.  
"It's a possibility." He admitted. "But it might just be a stomach bug." He added while an oncall consultant, Ella Dawlish -whom they were familiar with- entered the room.

"How can I help?" She asked sweetly.  
"Um, Sam's feeling sick. We're not sure if it's a bug or early labour." Tom stated.  
"Right, Sam can I just palpate your abdomen please? I promise I'll be gentle." She said softly as she rubbed some of the antibacterial gel into her hands and approached her bedside.  
"Yeah, sure." Sam said quietly as she turned onto her back properly and then reluctantly pulled up her extra extra large hoodie that she always wore to bed up. The consultant gently felt around Sam's bump to get a feel for her uterus and the positioning of the baby that was lowest in the uterus - Baby A - before she rubbed some more gel into her hands and Sam pulled her hoodie down.

"Right, you're not contracting at all yet and Baby A's head isn't engaged, however that's not to say that we can rule early labour out. So I want to keep a very close eye on you, because this is a high risk pregnancy, I'm going to introduce your obs to every 15 minutes and I know it's very early in the morning but it's purely for you and your babies' benefit." Ella explained.  
"No, that's fine." Sam nodded nervously.  
"And of course, it could just be an upset stomach which is common in pregnancy so no need to panic yet, I'm just being cautious. I'll tell the medical team to be on standby just in case, and if you do begin vomiting, push the button so we know okay?"  
"Yeah, will do." Tom replied.  
"Okay, just take things nice and easy and most importantly, we need mum to stay calm otherwise you could cause the babies some distress so some deep breathing may help. Dad, you need to make sure that she's as comfortable as possible okay." She directed the last part at Tom before she left the room.

"I'm so sorry Tom."  
"What for?" He asked confusedly.  
"This. I... I could've done more to prevent it being this early." She stated.  
"No, of course you couldn't. Sam this isn't your fault. Look at me." He ordered as he put his finger under her chin and twisted her face to look into his eyes. "You have had the best possible pregnancy; you've been eating really well, you've done everything that you've been told to do and you've tolerated bed rest a lot better than I thought you would." Tom stated. "You've kept our babies in there a lot longer than most people thought you would. You're 31 weeks Sam, you have done so, _so_ well so do not blame yourself one bit. Because this is not your fault." Tom stated firmly.

"I... I need the toilet." Sam admitted.  
"But you've got the cathet- oh right." He nodded in understanding as he slid off of the bed.  
"Now Tom." She said pleadingly as he fiddled with her catheter bag at the side of the bed.  
"C'mon, just leave it in." He said because he knew she had limited time as he helped her out of bed and then held the catheter bag in his hand. He escorted her to the ensuite toilet and laid the bag on the edge of the sink before he left the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Seconds later, he heard the unfortunate side effects of Sam's troubles so he pushed the button and Ella soon returned.  
"What's- is Sam in there?" She asked worriedly because if she listened hard enough, she could hear the sound effects too.

"Yeah." Tom nodded.  
"Right well, just with her nausea I wouldn't have thought that it was necessarily early labour, but with diarrhoea, it increases the possibility because that is a more common symptom of early labour. It's like the digestive system is emptying and the body is preparing labour." Ella stated solemnly.  
"So what happens now?" Tom demanded.

"Well we can't be sure that she is in labour unless she starts having contractions so if that happens then we will give her seem drugs to try and stop the labour, however we need to make sure that it is labour before I can do that." She explained. A few minutes later, they heard the toilet flush, the taps run and then Sam came out and leant in the bathroom doorway. "Sam, how're you feeling?" She asked curiously.  
"What do you think?" Sam grumbled.  
"Oi." Tom warned.  
"It's alright, it's just her hormones." Ella stated quietly. "Sam, you need to be honest with me here, you haven't taken any laxatives have you?" She asked and Sam shook her head. "And have you had your show?"  
"No." Sam replied.

"Okay, shall we get you back into bed?" Tom suggested.  
"No, I wanna stay here." Sam stated.  
"You want to stay in the doorway of the toilet?" Tom repeated.  
"I mean it." Sam stated firmly.  
"Alright, let's do this your way." Tom stated as he glanced at Ella for some sort of help because his wife was being hormonal.

* * *

**7am**  
Mr T had already arrive for his shift and he had just been informed about the potential labour for Sam. Thankfully for her, the upset stomach had subsided within a few hours but in an attempt to prevent labour, she was on her elbows and knees on her bed with her bum up in the air and her head hung between her shoulders and she looked like an absolute idiot. It wasn't just to prevent labour, it was more comfortable for her too because the pressure on her cervix was greatly reduced.

"Right, how're we feeling?" Mr T queried as he used some of the hand sanitiser.  
"She hasn't had a bowel movement for about two hours now." Tom stated because he knew that Sam was focusing on taking deep breaths with her eyes closed. "That's a good sign isn't it?" He asked optimistically.  
"Um... Not necessarily, however I hear Sam hasn't had any contractions at all so far so that's good." He stated.  
"So isn't there anything else we can do, other than wait?" Tom asked impatiently because he had been up since the early hours of the morning with his snappy, and now untalkative, wife.  
"I'm afraid not. I mean, usually we could perform a fetal fibronectin test however because this is a multiple pregnancy, the result won't be accurate at all." Mr T stated.  
"But-"  
"Aaahhh." Sam suddenly arched her back as she tucked her head under and screwed her eyes shut.  
"Sam?" Tom quickly jumped besides her bed. Mr T did the same but he placed his hand on Sam's bump and felt the texture of her abdomen. After a few seconds of her holding her breath, she began taking deep breaths once more and looked worriedly between Mr T and her husband.

"That wasn't a false labour contraction; you are going into labour." He stated solemnly and Sam closed her eyes in disbelief. He pushed a button for a nurse to come whilst Tom gently rubbed Sam's back for comfort. "Right," he began as the out of breath nurse entered - everyone was alerted about the potential birth and was on their toes to help. "I want you to get 500mg of intravenous tocolytic and another 1000mg of turbutaline now." He ordered and the nurse ran off. "Right Sam, one of those drugs is going to try and delay labour as long as possible, and the other is a prenatal corticosteroid which will help your babies' lungs to develop a little more before they're born okay?" He explained as Sam reluctantly got into a position where she was lying back on her back on the bed, being propped up by pillows.

"This is too early isn't it?" She croaked.  
"No no no no no, Sam it was only a matter of time before this happened, you have done everything you can for your babies, now you just have to hand it over to your medical team and trust me, we I'll do everything we possibly can to deliver your babies safely." Mr T stated as Tom held her hand. "Now I just need to inform a few people and make sure that everyone and everything is ready, but I'll be back soon." He stated before he jogged off.

"This is really happening." Sam whispered and Tom gave her hand a squeeze.

* * *

**6pm**  
Sam laid in a large hospital gown in her now, usual sized hospital bed with her bump exposed to the world though she had so many different monitors on her bump held on by straps that you could hardly see any skin. There were eight in total as they tried to keep an eye on the heart rate of each baby however the task was proving to be very difficult for Mr T. She had IV fluids going into her to keep her balanced from the diarrhoea and she also had her catheter in; she wasn't really allowed out of bed at all. Sam had Tom sitting on another chair on side other side as Mr T returned with the verdict.

"Well, it looks like the the tocolytic has worked; it's successfully delaying your labour." Mr T stared and Sam and the anxious soon-to-be father broke into grins. "We just have to wait and see, but when your contractions start again, we will have to go for the c section before the babies get distressed and that could be within hours or within a couple of days." He stated.  
"Thank you." Sam said gratefully.  
"You're very welcome." Mr T smiled. "Now, just so you know, your medical team of 46 are all in the hospital, awaiting the birth and NICU are ready for the Kent octuplets. And speaking of awaiting, there is a very large crowd of photographers and journalists outside the hospital entrance with cameras demanding news on the octuplets. Now obviously, nobody from the hospital will make an official statement without your permission, but I just thought that you should know." Mr T explained.

"I bet you feel like Kate Middleton." Tom joked and Sam gave a small smile.  
"Right, we're still going to keep you on 30 minute obs throughout the night, and make sure that if there's any changes, you press the button okay?" Mr T asked.  
"Yep, that's fine. And I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry I was a bit snappy earlier." Sam apologised.  
"Oh, trust me. I've seen and heard a lot, lot worse." Mr T smirked.  
"I can imagine." Tom muttered and Sam raised her eyebrow at him.  
"Well, I'd better be getting on, but I'll be back to check on you shortly." Mr T stated before he left the room. But how long would Sam's contractions be postponed for? And would her babies survive?

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**26th July 2014**

**7am**

Sam had lasted a full day without experiencing contractions, but she had been anxious for the long, never ending hours as she was bedridden and worried sick about her babies. It had been almost 48 hours since she had been given the drug, and she still had Tom by her side, though he was awake - and in need of a shave - watching Sam who was asleep whilst the media and press camped outside in the dozens, hoping to get some news about the babies' birth.

Thankfully, extra time had brought Sam into the 32nd week of her pregnancy which had increased the viability of her babies further.

Slowly, as she began to arise from her slumber, she began to realise that she felt uncomfortable. She opened her eyes and then moved her legs and suddenly felt wet between her legs; she thought she had wet herself. But she couldn't let Tom know, could she?

"Morning." Tom smiled. "What do you want for breakfast?" He asked - now that she was in her third trimester, she had to aim to eat 6000 calories a day.  
"I'm really not hungry." Sam stated causing a bit of confusion for both her and her husband because she was always hungry in the mornings - well she had been for the past few months anyway.  
"Right, okay." Tom nodded reluctantly because he knew that labour could cause a lack of appetite and he didn't want to force her to eat if she didn't want to. "I think today might be the day, because that medication isn't going to last forever." Tom admitted, and as he did, Mr T entered the room.  
"Ah, you're awake. Feeling any different at all?" He asked curiously and Sam fidgeted a little as she pulled the bed sheet to feel looser on her body to hide her wet patch between her legs, however moving the sheets caused suspicion from Mr T as he saw a small yellow tint to the colour of the usually white bed sheet. "What's happened?" He asked and he pulled back Sam's thin bed sheet to reveal a little puddle that she was sitting in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to I just woke up and-"  
"Don't be sorry Sam, you can't help your waters breaking." Mr T stated.  
"What?" Sam demanded after she had flushed red. "I-I thought I'd wet myself." She added bluntly.  
"You're wearing a catheter." Mr T stated and Sam closed her eyes as she felt stupid. "Right, by the looks of the amount, it's only the forewater of one of your three amniotic sacs so nothing to panic about." He stated. "I'll just go and get someone to change your sheets and get you a new gown. And um, have you eaten anything today?" He asked but Sam shook her head. "Okay, I want you to avoid solids today, but to ensure that you're getting enough calories I can go and make you up a high calorie formula milkshake." He stated.

"That sounds disgusting." Sam grimaced.  
"Well there's strawberry flavour, vanilla flavour or chocolate flavour." He stated and Sam's face lit up.  
"Strawberry please." She smiled and he nodded before he disappeared.  
"Why didn't you tell me you'd thought that you'd wet yourself?" Tom asked quietly.  
"Because you would've laughed." Sam stated.  
"But-"  
"Be honest Tom, you would have wouldn't you?"  
"I suppose so." He admitted and Sam folded her arms across her chest as she had proved her point.

* * *

**9am**  
Unfortunately, contractions had begun once again for Sam and they were occurring once every 20-25 minutes. She was still restricted to her bed and hooked up to every monitor under the sun along with fluids, and she was frantically rubbing her hands over her bump - despite all the monitors - because she knew that within a couple of hours, she wouldn't have it anymore.  
"You're doing really well Sam. Just keep taking deep breaths, well done." Tom smiled as he gently rubbed her arm.  
"Right." Mr T began as he and a nurse entered the room. "Sam, we're ready to take you to theatre now." He stated and Sam tensed up before she managed a nod.  
"It's all gonna be okay Sam, I'm gonna tell you every single detail about all of them and I'll bring you pictures as soon as I can." Tom stated as he held her hand whilst Mr T and the nurse put all of the monitors on the edge of Sam's bed.

"Right Sam, your anaesthetist is going to give you an epidural like we discussed, and then once that has kicked in, we can begin the c section. Don't forget about what we've discussed before, there will be a lot of people in the theatre, but they're all there for a reason." Mr T explained as they began to wheel Sam's bed out of the room and down the corridor...

* * *

Sam laid on the thin, hard operating table in the freezing cold theatre room and she felt intimidated by the vast number of people watching the procedure that she felt was a very personal one. There was a good dozen people in the gallery watching through the glass window, there was a neonatologist and a nurse besides each of the eight incubators ready to received the infants. There was Mr T and a scrub nurse ready to operate on Sam, her anaesthetist who was in charge of Sam's epidural and pain relief, and of course Tom was by her side.

Her bump was out in the open, no longer covered by the monitoring straps and there was a blue sheet as a screen to stop Sam from seeing the procedure as they were ready to start.

"Okay Sam, I'm going to make the first incision." Mr T stated as he picked up the scalpel. She felt cold on the operating table, and yet she was perspiring becuase of her rapid heartbeat as she anxiously awaited her family's future. She was completely numb in her lower half as Mr T made a straight cut along Sam's stretched and scarred abdomen.  
"You're gonna be a mum, very soon." Tom smiled softly as he held Sam's hand on her chest. She laid there, staring at the ceiling in despair because now that the epidural had kicked in, she no longer had the comforting reassurance that her babies were alive as they squirmed inside of her because she couldn't feel them at all. And the sad thing was, was that she knew that she would never feel them inside her womb again.

She couldn't feel her babies, but she certainly felt all the eyes upon her which made her feel extremely self conscious because the only people that had previously seen Sam's bump without being covered was Tom, Fletch and Mr T. Now there were over thirty people looking as they all awaited the birth of the rarest kind.

The lights shining on here were far too bright, and she hated wearing the hospital gown and cap, but it was all for the benefit of her babies so she was willing to go through it all for her babies - not that she had a choice in the matter anyway.

It seemed like forever as Mr T sliced his way through the layers until he finally opened Sam's uterus. They room had been filled with silence that was only broken by the occasional warning of feeling pressure by Mr T and the frequent beeping of Sam's monitors.  
"Okay, baby A is nearly with us, mum and dad." Mr T stated through his face mask as he used suction to get rid of the excess amniotic fluid - one of the sacs (belonging to the three boy's) had been broken, however the two sacs belonging to the five girls still remained in tact. Sam's hold on Tom's hand tightened as she felt apprehensive, so he put both hands around the one of hers for comfort. Sam moved a little on the bed as she felt the tugging in her abdomen for several minutes, before she finally felt a little of the pressure inside her disappear. "Baby A, let's get him straight to NICU." Mr T ordered as he gently handed the small newborn covered in blood and fluids to the first neonatologist.

"Is he breathing?" Sam croaked because she hadn't even caught a glimpse of her first baby and she certainly hadn't heard any crying or wailing. "Tom?" Sam pleaded.  
"It's alright, he's being looked after. They're gonna take him to NICU so he can be evaluated remember." Tom said softly as he kept his grip on Sam's hand whilst he watched his firstborn be laid into the incubator - which looked massive for an infant of such a small size - and then rolled out of the room quickly.  
"Right, baby A born at 10:06." Mr T announced because he knew that the nurse that was focussing on that baby would write it down.

From time going so slowly as they waited for the birth if their first baby, the time between baby A and baby G being born seemed to fly by as Sam couldn't catch a glimpse of any of her babies, and none of them had been crying though Baby B had been announced as breathing - just one out of the first seven.

They had all been born within a time span of six minutes, and there was just one baby to be born left: Baby H. The poorly little girl - that had been declared the smallest of them all as they saw on scans - had been squished at the very top of Sam's uterus and tucked slightly under her mother's ribcage.

"And here, is baby H." Mr T said softly as he gently held the whole of the tiny baby's body in just one of his hands and handed her to the final neonatologist.  
"Tom, go." Sam said quietly because she wanted someone that the babies knew to be with them and she couldn't go anywhere just yet. "Go." Sam ordered and he finally let go of his wife's hand before he followed the final incubator out of the theatre.

"Right Sam, I need to deliver the three placentas, and then I'll close you up. Okay?" He asked as he poked his head around the blue screen to see the new mum, however as he saw a tear rolling down her face, he knew that he wasn't going to get a reply so he just got on with the task.

Once seventeen people plus eight small infants had left the room, the theatre almost seemed empty to Sam as she stared at the ceiling. She felt a soft but gloved thumb brush away the single tear that had escaped her eye and looked up to see her anaesthetist forcing a smile at her as he took her hand to replace Tom's position.  
"They're all in safe hands." He whispered. "And I'm sure that they'll be patient to meet their mummy." He added because he didn't really know what to say to the distressed woman who was trying not to show any emotion.

She had just had eight babies taken from her womb. She had been through 'surgical birth' and yet she hadn't heard a single babble, cry, cough or sniffle from her babies. She only heard the medical jargon being shouted about the babies' conditions but she was going through far too much to try and interpret it.

Instead, she had to lie there whilst she was going to be 'closed up', not knowing about her babies - they were all critical when they left but at least they weren't technically pronounced dead, even if they weren't breathing. Without her husband for support, she had to stay there and just wait. Wait for what she did not know because there were many things that she could wait for: for her to be back on her feet, for her sons and daughters to die, for them to be discharged or even for them to begin breathing. But she didn't know when, or _if_, that was going to happen...

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Sam was in recovery and she had just finished expressing breast milk into a bottle manually as she pressed the lid on the single filled bottle - that she had been reassured would be enough for now - and then pulled her gown back over her chest. She hadn't used a pump becuase she felt that doing it by hand would waste more time, she just needed something to do to pass the agonising wait.

There had been a nurse sitting at a small desk in the corner of the room keeping an eye on Sam because she had only just had major surgery so after seeing that she had finished expressing milk she got up and approached the new, yet seemingly depressed, mother.  
"Would you like me to get it sent down to NICU?" She asked softly and Sam didn't reply, she only placed the bottle of slightly warm milk into her hand whilst she kept a blank expression on her face. "I'll be right back." She stated before she left the withdrawn woman. Only, just before the door could close, Tom burst in with a bunch of paper in his hands. Sam looked at him, trying to evaluate his facial expression as he quickly approached her bed.

"Well?" She demanded impatiently.  
"They're all alive, but you need to understand that most of them are still critical." Tom warned and Sam reluctantly nodded. "Look, I've got a picture and a few notes on each of them." He stated as he handed Sam the eight Polaroid pictures, each labelled by a black marker stating Baby A-H. "Um, all of them are in enclosed incubators. Baby A just has a nasal cannula to provide him with oxygen, but he is doing alright, he's the most independant out of all of them at 2lbs 11ozs." He stated as Sam looked at the first picture of the small baby with electrodes on his chest and a tube going across his face and under his nose providing oxygen.

All of the babies were either in a small padded splint, or were being propped in a certain position by rolled up towels to support their bodies. And they were all in nothing but a nappy while they were being assessed. "Baby B weighs 2lbs 12ozs - he's the second heaviest, and he's just on oxygen too. Baby C," he began as Sam reached the picture of the baby that was propped on it's side with a large brown/red bulge on it's back - the spina bifida child. "He's intubated because of his condition and he's already on pain relief. Baby D, E, F and G are all intubated too but they are fairly stable, their lungs are just too immature to breath on their own. But baby H is critical." He stated solemnly. "She's only 1lb and 8ozs, she's intubated and on a ventilator but her stats aren't looking good... I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, but... I overheard one of the consultants saying that he doesn't think that she's going to make it through tonight." Tom admitted.

"No..." Sam whispered as she hung her head.  
"Hey, it's alright." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders whilst she looked at the picture of the tiny, tiny baby girl in a nappy that was far too big for her. She had a tube down her throat, wires across her chest, a cannula in her wrist and stomach and a blood pressure monitor on her foot. "Was that your milk I just saw the nurse taking to NICU?" Tom asked curiously and Sam nodded. "Well that'll help them for sure Sam."  
"But baby H can't even take milk, she's probably having IV nutrients." Sam sobbed.  
"I mean, it'll help Baby A and B then Sam." Tom corrected.

"I want- I _need_, to see them." Sam demanded.  
"Not yet, you're epidural isn't taken out yet." Tom stated.  
"But..." Sam tried to argue but she knew he was right. "You go down, stay with them." Sam ordered weakly.  
"You sure?" Tom queried and Sam nodded.  
"There's nothing you can do for me here, just go and be with them." She replied.  
"Alright, I'll let you know if there are any changes, I promise." Tom kissed Sam on the forehead before he left to go and be with his children.

* * *

**6pm**  
Sam had been staring at the pictures of her babies all day in her hospital room alone, only being interrupted by the regular checks from Mr T or a midwife and thankfully, she had managed to get her epidural taken out early and her pain relief upped so that she could go and see her babies. She had already gotten most of he he feeling back to her legs, though she wasn't fully able and she was still recovering from a c section so Tom was going to take her to NICU in a wheelchair.  
"Right, if you hold a pillow over your stitches, then we can try and get you into the wheelchair with the least pain possible." Mr T stated as Tom stood, ready to assist. Tom pulled a pillow from behind Sam's back, pressed it on her swollen abdomen as he helped her into a seating position.

She groaned as she lowered herself into the wheelchair, but she let out a sigh of relief once she was sitting, and Tom placed a blue blanket over her lap because she was still in her hospital gown.

"Right, try not to get out of the wheelchair if possible, but enjoy spending time with your babies." Mr T smiled as Tom slowly wheeled Sam out of the room.

* * *

"You ready?" Tom asked as he stopped outside the double doors to enter the NICU unit where it was at fully capacity with just their babies, no one else's.  
"Yeah." Sam nodded so Tom pushed the button to buzz himself in, before he pulled Sam's wheelchair through the doors backwards, and turned her around to show her in the rectangular room that there were four incubators on the left, and four on the right in the dark room where there was little lighting for the benefit of the babies.

"Ah, Sam. I'm Mr Solis, remember me?" A man with a soft voice asked as he shook the recovering woman's hand.  
"You're their consultant." Sam nodded.  
"Yes, would you like me to run through their care with you?" He asked and Sam nodded.  
"Alright, shall we start with baby A?" He suggested and Tom gently pushed Sam's wheelchair to the first incubator on the left. It was mostly covered by a blanket and the infant inside was being supported by rolled up towels to prevent pressure sores. He had nothing but a nappy on, with the peg on his umbilical stump, two electrodes on his chest, a nasal cannula and a bandage on his foot where a small computer was monitoring his blood pressure. "Right, this little gentleman just needs a bit of help with breathing so he's go oxygen being provided through his nose. Now he's still very small, but he's fairly stable. He's had some of your milk as well but we're yet to see any evidence of it passing through. Though he hasn't thrown it back up which is a good sign." Mr Solis explained.

"Why is there a blanket over the incubator?" Sam asked curiously.  
"Ah, well most premature babies are very sensitive to light or any sort of stimuli so some have masks over their eyes while they sleep, or sometimes we just use a blanket. You also have to understand that when you touch and speak to your babies, you need to be very quiet and very gentle because even if you are their mum and dad, they might not like it because all of their senses aren't yet developed and they're very vulnerable." Mr Solis explained. "Shall we move on to baby B? You can spend some time with them after I've explained but I've got an appointment with another patient I'm afraid." He stated.

Tom pushed Sam's wheelchair to the second incubator where the baby looked very similar to the first. Though he was in by small padded sling that was keeping the baby on it's back and almost like it was being cradled tightly. He had all of the same monitors, except he had a light above him that made his entire incubator a bright purple.  
"Now this little boy is also doing okay, he's just having some phototherapy because he's a little bit jaundiced, but that's common. All of your babies will have this at one point or another, and he has had some of your milk via a nasogastric tube, and had a wet nappy earlier so he's looking good. But I'm afraid baby C is a bit different." He stated and Tom moved Sam's wheelchair to the third incubator.

"Oh my god..." Sam whispered as she placed a hand over her mouth in shock. The baby, that looked a little bit bigger than the other ones, was propped in it's side without a nappy on and a small blanket was underneath the large red and brown bulge that was protruding from it's back.  
"I know it looks bad, but trust me, he's sedated and intubated so he isn't in any pain. Now, we haven't put a nappy on him yet because he's on an absorbent pad, and it can be difficult to fit one properly because the spina bifida is in the way. And he is on IV nutrients for now, not milk."

"When can he have the corrective surgery?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Um... Well, we would like to give him a few of days or more to settle, but because he is the biggest, most developed baby here, I don't see any reason for it to happen within a fortnight." Mr Solis replied.

They soon evaluated four of the girls - who were all intubated but stable - when they finally reached Baby H in the corner.  
"Now... I'm afraid this little girl isn't looking too good." Mr Solis admitted.  
"You don't think she's going to make the night do you?" Sam asked and Mr Solis looked taken aback because he hadn't mentioned it to the parents yet, however he was semi relieved that they were aware.  
"Well... Obviously it's difficult to say but, she's only 1lb and 8ozs. She can't take any feeds, she has to be given intravenous nutrients, she's on antibiotics to prevent any infection and other medications to help her lungs to develop further, but you have to understand that she is very, very poorly." Mr Solis stated.  
"Yes or no?" Sam demanded quietly.  
"Honestly, I can't make that call I'm afraid, but I can advise you to prepare for the worst and spend as much time as you can with her." He admitted. "Right, I'm sorry but I'd better get going to that appointment but if you have any other questions, I will be back shortly." He stated.

"Wait, what can we do for them?" Tom asked desperately because he hated not being in control.  
"Talk to them, sing to them, hold their hands if they like it. And come up with names for your babies." He advised before he left the unit.

Tom turned back to see Sam as she stared at the tiny infant in her incubator, as he chest slowly rose and fell because of the machine that she was attached to.  
"I'm staying with her." Sam mumbled as she wheeled her own chair until she was right next to the incubator.  
"We need to get you back to bed Sam." Tom said softly as he crouched down besides his wife but she shook her head.  
"I'm staying with her until the end if I have to." Sam stated sternly as a nurse entered the room.

"Ah Sam, we were just looking for you, we need some more milk for Baby A and B." She stated kindly as she stood with two bottles. "And, I need to remind you that if you don't want formula to be used, you need to keep expressing regularly to keep up with demand." She added. "It's best to express more and then we can begin to store it for night shifts so that you can rest."  
"Alright, thanks." Tom smiled as he took the bottles and thankfully, the nurse got the message and left them once more. He sensed that she was in a turbulent mood and that her heart was set on staying the Baby H, so he grabbed a chair and sat next to her. "Of course you can stay here, if that's what you want. You just need to make sure that you express milk for the ones that can feed." He said softly as he began to undo some of the top ties at the side of Sam's gown. "I'm going to go and spend some time with the others, make sure you fill these." He ordered gently as he placed the two bottles in her lap and then took the chair to sit next to Baby A.

Tom rubbed some hand gel in, before he gently opened one of the arm holes and placed his hand inside the warm environment. He didn't want to startle the sleeping baby, so he just rested his hand besides the baby for a few minutes for him to get used to it, before he gently stroked the baby's arm for comfort.  
"Hello." He whispered happily. "I'm your daddy." He stated.

Slowly, Tom spend ten minutes with each baby until he made his way back around to Baby H where he found Sam was sitting with the two bottles filled with her breast milk in her lap.  
"Thank you." Tom pecked Sam on the forehead as he took the bottles and put them on the side, before he grabbed his chair and sat besides his wife. "Why don't you talk to her?" He suggested. "She'll know your voice better than anyone." He added.  
"I don't know what to say." Sam mumbled as she twiddled her thumbs in her lap.  
"Well why don't you read her a story? I can go and get a book for you." He offered but she shook her head. "Alright, why don't you just hold her hand then, or stroke her arm?" He suggested. "C'mon, I'll help." He stated as he grabbed a bottle of hand gel and squirted a bit in Sam's hands, and whilst she rubbed it in, he opened one of the small side flaps. "Just be... Nice and gentle." Tom whispered as Sam slowly lifted her right hand, and then hovered it in the warm environment. Tom opened the second flap and held his hand in it, just to give Sam some support. "This is your mummy." He said softly as Sam brushed her fingers along the infants arm.

* * *

**8pm**  
Sam was still sitting in her wheelchair besides the little girl's cot - she hadn't moved once in the two hours that she had been there. Tom had tried to convince her to see the others, but understandably, she wanted to be with the little girl that they had little hope for. In the end, Tom had gone up to Mr T because he knew that Sam's pain was increasing, but she wasn't moving so the two men came down to NICU to see her themselves.  
"Sam, I've got your next dose of pain relief." Mr T stated as he held a kidney dish with a small syringe in. Sam just offered her hand where she had a cannula for any fluids or medication to go in. Carefully, Mr T injected the meds, and then stood behind Sam whilst Tom sat besides her in is chair. "She's beautiful." Mr T whispered, but Sam did not reply. She just kept her eyes on the tiny creature before her. "Sam, you need to go back to bed. You're only delaying your own recovery and, I'm actually considering getting a psych referral for you." He admitted. "You might have postnatal depression."

"I don't have PND. I'll go back to bed once... When she's not critical anymore." Sam stated because she didn't want to say the words herself.  
"They don't think this one's going to make the night." Tom whispered to the consult to inform him.  
"Oh... I'm so sorry. I didn't know." He apologised. "But you will come back to bed by tomorrow morning yes?"  
"Yes." Sam huffed as she ran her hand through her hair and then folded her arms across her chest.  
"Right. Well, make sure you come and see me if there's any problems with your stitches." He said before he left the room with just two nurses in the side room, and the two parents remaining.

Sam had been sitting there for ages and ages, fighting a battle with her eyelids as she tried not to fall asleep. She couldn't because she wanted to be awake if her passed away, at least then she wouldn't feel that she died alone and unloved. But Sam was fighting a battle that was inevitable - she had to fall asleep at some time or another because she had been up since early that morning, and she was on drugs that made her a little drowsy, so after using every ounce of strength that she had to remain awake, she accidentally slipped into a deep slumber, unaware of the condition of her most critical child, let alone the rest of them whom she hadn't spent any time with at all...

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**27th July 2014**

**7:30am**  
Tom stood in NICU nursing a cup of coffee as he stood watching his sleeping wife from afar. She was still wrapped in a blanket, just like the position she had fallen asleep last night as her head hung with her eyes closed. He was surprised that she wasn't already awake, but he couldn't wait for her to wake up so that he could tell Sam the news, that their little girl had made the night. And that her stats had ever so slightly improved - she was only hours old and Tom was already so proud of that little girl because she was a fighter.

"Tom, I'm just about to go and update the press becuase the board has ordered me to because they're blocking the entrance, would you like to come with me?" Mr Solis asked as he poked his head into NICU.  
"Um..." Tom began to consider it because said a father, he wanted to tell the world how proud he was of his wife, and of his children, yet because Sam was still asleep, he wasn't sure.  
"I need to go now so that I can get back for the babies' obs." Mr Solis stated.  
"Um, yeah sure, sure. I'm coming." Tom nodded as he finished his coffee, placed the cup in the bin and then followed the consultant out.

* * *

A little while later, a nurse came into NICU after being sent by Mr T to give her another pain relief dosage because she must've needed it as she hadn't been down to maternity all night. She felt bad about having to wake the new mum, but it was only for the best so she gently shook the woman's arm.  
"Sam? Sam?" She questioned, but the patient was unresponsive. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something on the ground and as she moved the thick blue blanket out of the way, she found a pool of thick, crimson blood on the floor and it was still dripping from the wheelchair. She pulled the blanket off of Sam's lap, and saw the her entire gown was soaked through and stained bright red. She knew that loud noises were meant to be avoided in NICU, but this was a matter of life and death. "Can I get some help in here?" She shouted loudly.

* * *

"But I'd just like to thank Mr Solis and the entire medical team of 46 people who had taken part in this tremendous task. I know it's not over by a long shot, but my wife and my children wouldn't have made it this far without you all." Tom said as he stood besides Mr Solis in front of a large crowd of journalists with flashing cameras, microphones and notepads. "I-" Tom began to speak again but a nurse quickly came up behind him, went on her tiptoes and whispered something into his ear. The crowd only watched as Tom's face dropped from glory to pure terror as he turned around and sprinted back into the hospital to find his critically ill wife...

* * *

Tom bounded into the theatre gallery on maternity as he saw the dirty blood soaked swabs spread out across his wife's abdomen while Mr T was obviously intervening between Sam's legs.  
"What happening?" Tom demanded through the voice over.  
"Tom, get out you shouldn't see this." Mr T warned through his face mask as he frantically tried to stop the bleeding.  
"No, tell me what's wrong with her now." Tom demanded.  
"It's postpartum haemorrhage, I need to stem the bleed I think there might be a small fragment of her placenta left." Mr T explained. "Didn't she say anything about heavy bleeding last night?" He asked.  
"I don't know, once she was besides the incubator she just didn't move, she barely spoke, she just sat there." Tom blurted out before he ran his hands through his hair.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Just go to NICU, I'll come and find you when there's any news, I promise." Mr T ordered. "Tom go, you're only gonna make me take longer." Mr T stated so Tom gave his wife's pale face one last glance before he reluctantly disappeared from the room.

* * *

Tom was standing in the middle of NICU so that he could see all of his children. Everything in there was silent, with only the gentle beeping that could be heard if you got closer to one of the babies' monitors. He was brought out of his thoughts when a nurse behind him cleared her throat. He turned to see the young nurse standing with a small box of eight different toys.  
"I was told that you had these sterilised for your babies." She said softly. "If you want, you can put one in their incubators for them, they just have to be in a corner away from any wires." She offered.  
"Thanks but... I know it sounds stupid but I think my wife wanted a certain animal to go to a certain baby so I'll wait for her." Tom stated as he took the plastic box and then placed it on a cupboard at the side of the room. He was certain that Sam was going to make it, she had to because there was no way on earth that he could raise those babies by himself. And besides that, he just couldn't live without his wife - she was his rock, she was always there when he needed support, and she was a vital part of his life. The polite nurse smiled before she went back to the side room.

Tom was just glancing around the room, when he heard a small startle, and one of the babies began to make noises of discomfort. It took him a while before he worked out that it was Baby A because most incubators were covered by blankets so he approached and saw that the small baby was wriggling and he had his face screwed up.  
"Excuse me, he's... He's..." Tom trailed off as he didn't actually know what was wrong. The nurse quickly entered expecting an emergency, only she found the baby who had just hit a big milestone.  
"Let's just have a look." She smiled at the baby as she carefully took the side panel off of the incubator and undone the side stickers of the nappy. "Yep, he's had his first wet nappy." She stated. "This is a really big step for him." She added to set the anxious parent at ease. "Do you want to change him? I can help you, don't worry." She asked.

"Um, yeah yeah sure." Tom nodded as the nurse opened a bedside cupboard and took out a bottle of distilled water, a swab and a nappy that was his size - everything in that cupboard was just for him.  
"Right, place the clean nappy underneath him first so that no mess gets on the blankets." She said softly as Tom stood besides the incubator on the side where the panel had been removed. Tom unfolded the nappy but then hovered his hand around the baby.  
"Do I just...?"  
"Just gently lift his feet up, that's it." She did softly as Tom positioned it perfectly. He had to be careful of all the wires, and they were only adding to the difficulty. "Now, the sides are already undone, you just need to pull back the nappy, but do it gently because some boys like to surprise their parents by weeing as soon as the cold air hits them." The nurse smiled sweetly as Tom gradually peeled the front of the nappy away, revealing a small yellow patch on the white material. "Now as you pull the dirty nappy out from underneath him, just use it to give him a wipe as best as you can, and then place the nappy in the blue bin because it'll need to be weighed." She ordered and Tom shakily pulled the nappy away, folded it in half and then put it in the bin below him.

"Now what?" Tom asked helplessly.  
"Now just squeeze a little bit of that sterile water onto the cloth, and wipe him properly, make sure that you get between the folds of his legs too." She instructed.  
"Is that alright?" Tom asked worriedly as he held the cloth in his hand after wiping his little boy.  
"Yep, now put the swab in the green bin for general waste, do up the new nappy and your done." She smiled.  
"How tight?" Tom asked.  
"Just so that you can comfortably fit two fingers between him and the nappy." She replied. Tom peeled off the bits of paper and put them in the bin, before he put the nappy together and the baby was content once more. "And you've changed your first nappy without physical help." The nurse announced quietly. "Well done daddy." She added and Tom smiled to himself as the nurse put the side panel back on the incubator securely.

"Tom." Mr T began as he entered the room and the father turned around apprehensively yet eager for news. "Sam's in recovery, but in about an hour she'll be taken to her original hospital room on maternity. I stemmed the bleed but it was borderline needing a blood transfusion and she's only on fluids so, she's going to be temporarily anaemic." He explained.  
"But she's going to be okay?" Tom asked.  
"Yeah, she's a fighter." Mr T nodded. "But, stay here for another hour with your kids, you probably won't be let into recovery anyway. Then go and see Sam when she's back in her room, she won't be awake for a while yet."

* * *

Tom was holding Sam's hand tightly as she slowly came around from sedation.  
"Hey." Tom whispered as he kissed her hand once she had finally managed to open her eyes properly.  
"Wh... The... The babies... Tom I-" Sam stuttered.  
"Calm down. They're all fine." Tom said softly.  
"But... She didn't make it through the night, she-"  
"Oh no no no no no, I forgot that you didn't know, Sam she's fine, her stats have improved." Tom replied quickly as he remembered that before she had fallen asleep and unconscious, she had believed that her smallest and youngest daughter was going to die.  
"Really?" Sam asked.  
"Yeah." Tom laughed softly as he nodded.

"I need to see her." Sam stated as she tried to use her lethargic limbs to sit up but Tom held her down.  
"Sam, you're not going anywhere." Mr T stated sternly from the end of her bed.  
"No, you can't keep me-"  
"Sam, if you don't calm down I'm going to have to sedate you because your putting yourself at risk, you need to stay still you've just had further surgery and if you move you could cause further bleeding." He warned sternly. Sam rolled her eyes before she let her head hit the pillow in annoyance.

"Our babies are all stable." Tom stated reassuringly. "Hey, I even got to change Baby A's first wet nappy without any help." Tom stated proudly.  
"He had a wet nappy?" Sam asked and her husband nodded. "What about any of the others?"  
"Not yet, they're all still on IV nutrients, no milk except for Baby A and B. Speaking of which I think NICU need some more milk." Tom stated as he nodded to the two empty bottles which had been delivered by NICU earlier.  
"Yeah, I will once..." Sam trailed off as she glanced at her obstetrician momentarily.

"Say no more, I'll be on my way. But I do not, want you out of this bed. Are we clear?" Mr T said sternly.  
"Crystal." Sam smiled sarcastically as the consultant left.  
"You're such an idiot, y'know that?" Tom shook his head at her.  
"Why?" She protested innocently.  
"Because I got told by a nurse that she had been scarred for life becuase she found you sitting in your wheelchair surrounded by a pool of blood coming from between your legs." Tom stated. "Did you not realise in the evening that you were bleeding too much?"  
"No. The nurses in recovery always changed the maternity towel for me because of the epidural, and I'd only just come off of the epidural before I went down to NICU last night so it never actually changed it myself." Sam admitted.  
"Fine. So c'mon milk machine. Fill 'em up." He joked as he slowly sat Sam's bed up at a 45° angle and then held the first bottle for her. "And I'm more than happy to be the milkman if required." He said suggestively to which Sam huffed.  
"Never gonna happen." She retorted as she began to undo some of the ties.

* * *

**7pm**  
Sam was getting more and more impatient about being bedridden becuase she just wanted to go back down to NICU. Thankfully, she was just about to burst of anger when Mr T entered to take her obs.  
"Right, when can I get out of bed?" Sam demanded.  
"Not until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Have a good nights sleep and then we'll see how you are in the morning." Mr T replied as he picked up Sam's folder and began to write down her stats. "If you got out of bed now, you'd probably faint within seconds." He retorted.  
"But... Can't I just get up to go to the toilet?" Sam asked awkwardly.  
"Nope, I'll get a nurse for you to use a bedpan." He stated without taking his eyes off of the paperwork and Tom watched as Sam shifted uncomfortably.  
"Don't worry about the nurse, I'll help her once you've gone." Tom said to Mr T.  
"Alright, but remember, if you have any clots bigger than a 5p coin let me know."

A few minutes later, the consultant left the room and Tom got the bed pan out of the cupboard.  
"Can't you just let me go to the toilet?" Sam whined. "Please?"  
"Nope." Tom replied bluntly as he balanced the bedpan on the edge of Sam's bed.  
"Tom, if I have to go here, I'm gonna get blood everywhere. And I need to change anyway. Please." She pleaded desperately.  
"You heard what Mr T said." Tom sighed.  
"Yeah, and you heard what I just said. Please? I won't lock the door." She begged.  
"I... But... Oh fine, but we're taking this very slowly." He warned and Sam grinned because she really detested the idea of going in a bed pan with her husband in the room, and whilst she was still bleeding.

Tom escorted her to the ensuite bathroom and they were both very careful of her c section scar, before he helped her back into bed and tucked her back in under the cover.  
"Right, just get some rest and then I'll take you down to NICU in the morning if Mr T says it's okay." Tom said softly as he pulled the bed sheet up to her chin. "And I think that we should start thinking about names tomorrow. Just get a few ideas in your head."  
"Mm. But don't you go thinking too hard, I know what you're like." Sam joked halfheartedly.  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tom protested.  
"If I let you name the boys, you'd call them Tom, Dick and Harry." Sam stated sleepily.  
"No I wouldn't." Tom said. "C'mon, get some rest sleepy head."  
"Can you do me a favour?" Sam asked.  
"Depends what it is." Tom replied hesitantly.  
"Go and say goodnight to them for me."  
"How do I know that you're not gonna be climbing out of bed while I'm gone?"  
"Please Tom, I haven't seen them at all today. Just go and read them a story or a nursery rhyme and see if there's any updates."  
"Alright, but don't wait up. Get some rest." Tom whispered before he pecked Sam on the cheek. He also grabbed the two bottles of milk that Sam had expressed within the hour, and took them with him.

* * *

Tom entered NICU to find Mr Solis putting Baby H's folder back into the slot by her incubator.  
"I brought some more of Sam's milk." Tom stated as he handed the bottles to the consultant.  
"Oh right, great." Mr Solis nodded.  
"Any changes?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Um, Baby E was going a little yellow from jaundice earlier, so we've put her on phototherapy for a few hours tonight. But other than that, not much." He stated as he pointed to the baby in the far right corner that was under a purple light with a blindfold on to protect her eyes.  
"Okay. Um, when can we expect to be able to hold them?" Tom asked curiously.

"Well... It's difficult to say. I mean, Baby C, D, E, F, G and H certainly won't be for a little while because they're still intubated. Baby A and Baby B on the other hand... I mean, maybe in a week they could tolerate a little hold using kangaroo care, so you'd hold them within your tshirt to keep them warm and have skin to skin contact, but it wouldn't be for very long, and of course it does depend on how they progress." Mr Solis explained. "But um, I'd better take these to get them stored." He stated as he gestured the bottles of milk. "Oh, and there's some more sterilised bottles in that cupboard there. Just take some up to Sam and she can express first thing in the morning." He added before he left the room.

Tom decided to go in chronological order as usual, so he grabbed a book from the box of resources, grabbed the chair and sat besides Baby A's incubator.  
"Hello little man, you ready for a bedtime story?" Tom asked softly as he leant forward to be close to his child. "Mummy's a bit poorly at the moment, but she told me to wish you a goodnight, and she can't wait to see you again."

* * *

At 10pm, Tom returned to Sam's hospital room on maternity. He had read all of his children the same short story, and by the sixth time, he pretty much knew it off by heart. He had given each of his children a small hand hold for a little while and he told all of them how much they were loved by mummy and daddy before he had returned to his wife.

She was fast asleep in her bed, lying on her back with her fairly straight hair coming down over her shoulders before it disappeared below the fresh white hospital bed sheet, so he decided that rather than snuggle up to her like usual, he would sleep in the armchair besides her bed so that he would be there when she woke up despite the discomfort that it would cause him. He placed the empty, sterile bottles that he had brought up, on the bedside table for her to express milk into in the morning.

He then curled up in the chair, let his shoes drop to the floor and used his jumper as a blanket before he soon drifted off into a deep snooze.

**Thanks for reading, next up Sam and Tom try to come up with the perfect names for their little angels. Please review :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**28th July 2014**

**7:30am**  
Tom slowly opened his eyes and realised that Sam already had her bed sitting up and she was expressing milk into an almost full bottle by hand.  
"Isn't it easier to use a pump?" Tom asked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.  
"I don't know, I'm only doing it by hand because it takes longer and then it passes some time before I can go back down to NICU." Sam stated.  
"Oh okay... Wow, you really are a milk machine aren't you?" He smirked as he saw the other bottle that was already full on the bedside table.  
"Well the more I express, the more I produce and when the others are switched to breast milk, I need to be making a lot. NICU is already freezing any excess milk to keep it fresh for when they introduce it to the others." Sam explained.

"Right, I'm gonna go and get us some breakfast. What do you want?" He asked.  
"Some fruit?"  
"I'm sure I can manage that." Tom nodded.  
"And can you get some bottled water? The water they put in the jugs tastes weird." Sam stated.  
"Yep. Sure."

* * *

**8am**  
After eating their breakfast, Sam was just having her first obs of the day (well, the first whilst she was awake anyway) done by Mr T, when Mr Solis entered the room.  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Sam demanded quickly.  
"Calm down, it's nothing to do with your babies." Mr Solis stated. "I just came to see if Tom wanted to come with me to do another press conference." He stated.  
"I thought you did one yesterday." Sam stated confusedly.  
"We did, but we didn't finish because you were rushed into theatre." Tom stated.  
"Oh..."  
"So, I was thinking that maybe you wanted to come and announced he babies' weights and time of birth." Mr Solis explained.  
"And then can I go back down to NICU?" Sam asked.  
"Not quite. Well actually, if Tom goes down with you Mr Solis, then I can get a nurse to come in and help you with a shower, and you can get changed into your own clothes if you want to. Then you can both go to NICU." Mr T stated. "How does that sound?"  
"Fine." Sam and Tom nodded eagerly.

"And when are we going to get names for your children? Because it's getting rather mean to be calling a baby by a letter every day." Mr Solis asked.  
"We were gonna discuss names when we go down to NICU today. Honestly, I told Sam to think about it and we're gonna do it today. Hopefully." Tom stated.  
"Okay. Well, you know where I am, and I look forward to seeing you. Tom, just come down when you're ready and we can go to the entrance where the journalists are." Mr Solis smiled before he left the room.

"Don't bother about the nurse, I'll help her in the shower." Tom said to Mr T.  
"Okay, but you'll need to wash her hair for her because Sam, you shouldn't be lifting your arms above your head. And you'll need help washing your legs too because you shouldn't be bending over that far." He stated. "Okay, can I just check your incision please?" He asked as he put on a pair of gloves. "We can take the dressing off of it now." He stated as Sam pulled her gown aside to show her stretched, saggy abdomen that she suddenly felt really self conscious about. Sure, she had carried eight babies, but her stomach looked awful, there was even more stretch marks than there was before they were born.

"Do you want him to rip it off like a plaster?" Tom joked.  
"You can take it off if you want." Mr T offered.  
"No, no you do it." Sam ordered as she grimaced, awaiting the pain that would soon come...

* * *

Tom and Mr Solis had just arrived on NICU, to find Sam standing, and peering into an incubator. Instead of wearing she hosptial gown which had become the norm for the last week, she was in a black maxi dress with black flip flops and her hair was down and wavy.  
"Sam?" Tom queried because he didn't like that she was alone after two major surgeries. He also couldn't believe what she was wearing.  
"It's alright. Mr T brought me down in the wheelchair and he said that I could get up." Sam stated as she nodded to the wheelchair by the door.  
"And the dress?" He queried happily.  
"Stop grinning." She ordered. "It's only because dresses don't press on the incision like trousers do." Sam stated.  
"Well, you look beautiful." Tom smiled as he eyed her up and down.

Suddenly, an alarm started going off in the unit, and Sam and Tom jumped out of their skin.  
"Wh- what's happening?" Sam asked eventually as Mr Solis approached Baby A's incubator and a nurse came in from the side room.  
"Get a 10mg dose of IV caffeine now." Mr Solis ordered calmly as he took off the side panel of the incubator. Sam and Tom stood helplessly as they watched the little boy squirm and bawl his clenched fists about. Thankfully, six of the eight babies were incubated and sedated so they weren't bothered by the loud noise, however it was clearly distressing Baby B who was beginning to cry.

The nurse returned with the small syringe and Mr Solis injected it into the boy's cannula in his arm.  
"Just give it a few seconds... There we go." He concluded because the monitor stopped and the baby began to settle. He carefully put the side panel of the incubator back on and then went back to the parents. "You mustn't panic when an alarm goes off in here. It's usually only because one of their wires has come off or something small like that." Mr Solis said sternly to the parents. "He just needed a bit of caffeine to settle his breathing pattern because sometimes premies leave it a bit too long between taking breaths. Now, I think that little boy needs some comforting." He suggested as he pointed to Baby B who was still unsettled by the loud noises. Sam went over, used hand gel and opened the side flap before she caught one of the baby's flying fists and shushed him.

"It's okay... Sshh, mummy's here... you're okay." Sam whispered slowly and the baby began to settle down again.  
"You're a natural." Mr Solis smiled. "Now then, I'd better be getting on so I'll leave you to discuss names." He said encouragingly before he left the unit.  
"How can he say not panic when an alarm goes off?" Tom moaned.  
"Well, he's done the best for out babies so far so I don't see why we shouldn't trust him on that. Look, he's okay now isn't he?" Tom said as he nodded over to Baby A who had fallen asleep again. "Right, let's chose names. And, we've got these for them." Tom stated as he put two chairs by Baby A's incubator and then grabbed the box of eight soft toys.

Sam held her hand against her stitches for support as she slowly sat down besides her husband.  
"Right... Okay I give up, how are we suppose to name eight babies?" Sam moaned after thinking for only a few minutes.  
"Well we've got all morning." Tom stated. "In fact, we've still got days to name them so there's no rush." He added. "Right, let's get things straight. First of all, are we matching names at all? Like letters?" He asked.  
"No. If we give them similar names then they wont be independent and I want them to feel individual not just 'one of the octuplets'." Sam replied confidently.  
"Okay then. Got any ideas for this little one?" Tom queried as he smiled at the little boy who was almost fast asleep in his incubator.  
"Not really..." Sam admitted. "I want one of the boys to be called Charlie but he doesn't look like a Charlie." Sam stated.  
"Charlie? Yeah, I like that name. Charlie Kent." Tom nodded as he got up and wandered in between the incubators of Baby B and C. "What about you? Do you like Charlie Kent?" Tom asked, though he expected no response from Baby C because he was sedated for his spina bifida.

* * *

**1pm**  
"Right, I hear that names have been decided." Mr Solis announced as he entered NICU.  
"Yep." Tom nodded as he wrapped his arms around Sam's bare shoulders - he was still admiring her in her strapless dress. "It took a bloomin' long time but we got there in the end." He smirked.  
"Care to introduce me to them?" Mr Solis asked as he offered the father a marker pen because each of the babies had a small whiteboard behind their incubators but they had been empty since they'd arrived.  
"You wanna do the honours? I'll only get moaned at for my handwriting." Tom stated as he handed Sam the pen.  
"You can't deny, your handwriting is awful." Sam state bluntly as she walked over to Baby A's incubator. "Right, Baby A, is now Aaron Kent." Sam smiled as she proudly wrote the name on the whiteboard. "Baby B, is going to be called Jonathan Kent for definite on his is birth certificate, but we're not sure whether nickname him Jonny or not." Sam admitted as she paused by the second whiteboard.

"Well why don't you ask his opinion for it?" Mr Solis suggested and Sam looked at Tom for help.  
"What do you think? Jonny? Or Jonathan?" Tom asked as he leant over the incubator so that the baby could see his face. "Jonny?" He said slowly and the baby made a small noise. "Or Jonathan?" He repeated, to which the baby made no noise. "I think he prefers Jonny." Tom smiled and Sam nodded as she wrote Jonathan 'Jonny' Kent on the whiteboard.

"Baby C, is called Charlie Kent." Sam stated as she wrote the name.  
"And Baby D, is called Leah Kent." Tom stated.  
"I haven't heard Leah in a while." Mr Solis admitted. "It's a beautiful name, but not a very common one compared to others." He added.  
"Baby E, is Megan Kent, and Baby F is called Summer Kent." Tom stated as Sam wrote the names on the boards. "And these two little girls, are called Isabella Kent, or Bella for short." Tom paused so that Sam could catch up on the writing, before she reached the final board.

"And Baby H, is called Eleanor Kent, or Ellie for short." Sam stated proudly. "It means light, and she's so small and the lightest out of all of them." Sam concluded.  
"Well those are all excellent names." Mr Solis stated. "And between us, I'm glad you have given them different names, not matching names." He admitted and Sam smiled.  
"I just don't want them to feel like an octuplet, they're all different." Sam stated. "Plus, if they all had matching names I think we'd get confused quite a lot." She added and they laughed a little.

"Right, well I'll leave you two to it. Um, if you want, I can pop up to your room later and we can sort out all the birth certificates, but you will need a form of ID each, I know it sounds silly but I have to." Mr Solis offered.  
"Yeah, that'd be great." Tom nodded before the consultant left. "Aaron, Jonny, Charlie, Leah, Megan, Summer, Bella and Ellie." Tom listed. "I'm gonna forget them, I know it." Tom concluded and Sam smirked.  
"Don't worry, I will too. And just imagine when they're not in incubators and we take them home, how are we supposed to tell them apart?" Sam joked and Tom smiled because she was being optimistic by saying 'when' they take them home, rather than if.

"We'll just have to keep their ID wristbands on." Tom shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon, why don't we dish these toys out?" He asked as he picked up the box of small toys and held them. "Go, you chose who gets who. Hey, shall we name the toys too? Then we'll have 16 names to confuse." He joked and Sam rolled her eyes as she took the small bunny rabbit toy out of the box and then placed it with her little girl in the corner of her incubator, to which Tom smiled.  
"What?" Sam protested innocently. "Ellie's having the bunny." She stated before she grabbed the duck and went over to Aaron.  
"And how exactly are you deciding who gets what toy?" He asked curiously.

"Ellie wrinkles her nose up sometimes even though she's sedated so she gets the bunny, Aaron is the loudest so he gets the duck." Sam stated.  
"So there is actually some logic, I though you were just winging it." Tom smirked.  
"Jonny gets the... horse, because he makes that noise with his lips and shows his gums off. Charlie can have the meerkat because... He cocks his head sometimes, even though he's sedated. Summer should have the teddy because it's got a red bow around it's neck, and Summer has rosy cheeks. Bella can have the lamb because her hair is really light and fluffy, Leah can have the panda because she's got little tufts of darkish hair, and Megan can have the penguin, because she doesn't have bowed legs like the others and she's laid with her arms to her sides." Sam concluded as she dished out the toys and then took a few deep breaths because she had moved rather quickly, compared to the last few months when she had been on bed rest.

"Right, we've been down here for hours now, I think you should go back to your room. In fact, we've missed lunch so why don't you go back, and I can grab something for us. I'll have to go back to our house to get out passports for ID for the birth certificates, so what do you fancy?" He asked as he got the wheelchair out for her, and helped her slowly sit down in her dress.

"Um... Why don't you go to tescos and get a fairly big-ish shop because we're gonna be here for a while and Mr T keeps on going on at me to eat and drink properly and the food here is rank." Sam suggested as Tom slowly wheeled her down the corridor.  
"Alright then, you'll have to write me a list though." He stated.

* * *

**6pm**  
Sam was sitting upright on her bed, and Tom was sitting cross legged on the end of her bed as they enjoyed each other's company, when Mr Solis came in with eight folders and lots of paperwork.  
"Right, is this a good time?" He asked.  
"Yeah, sure. Have a seat." Tom offered as he pointed to the chair besides Sam's bed, so he sat down and placed the paperwork on his lap.  
"Right, so we can sort out the birth certificates now. And if I've got time, I'll hopefully be able to talk you through what's going to happen with your babies' care in the next few weeks." He explained.  
"Okay." Sam nodded. "Oh, and here's our passports."

Mr Solis opened them to the page with their details and picture on it, and he had to force himself not to laugh as he saw Tom's picture.  
"It's okay to laugh. I did." Sam stated smugly as she smirked at her husband.  
"It's not my fault I have a cold that day." Tom protested because his picture looked like he was milliseconds away from sneezing.  
"Anyway, let's start with Aaron's shall we?" Mr Solis began to change the subject as he pulled out an incomplete birth certificate. "Okay, I just need you to confirm with me, that his full name is Aaron Kent, born 26th July 2014 in Holby City General Hospital at 2lbs 11ozs to the parents of Samantha and Tom Kent."  
"Yeah, that's right." Tom nodded.  
"And Sam, what is your maiden name?"  
"Nicholls. N-I-C-H-O-L-L-S." Sam replied.

* * *

"And finally, Eleanor Kent, born at 1lb and 8ozs... Done." Mr Solis concluded. "Now here's your copies of the birth certificates. You need to keep them safe." He stated as he placed the 16 sheets of paper, 8 A4 and 8 A5, on her bedside table. "Now then, your babies' care. Now, I know that it's hard with so much going on, but you need to understand that there are going to be some days where nothing happens, and other days where a few things could be happening at once because the babies are all going to be treated individually and we can't change their care, just for one of their siblings." Mr Solis explained.

"Some events might happen on the same day, but you'll try to make them happen at different times right? Because we can't be in more than one place at a time." Tom asked.  
"I will do that to the best of my ability, of course, but I cant promise you anything. Now, Charlie's corrective surgery is first on the agenda because I have booked his surgery for 1st August, that's in 4 days. And of course, I need your permission to perform the operation." He stated. "Aside from that, Leah's lungs are developing very quickly compared to her siblings so, we might be able to look at bringing her off the ventilator in a week's time."  
"That's great news." Tom smiled.  
"Mm, she's making real progress." Mr Solis nodded. "And another bit of news, which I think you may be please about, is that - as long as his stats continue to improve at the current rate - you'll hopefully be able to hold Aaron in the next couple of days. I mean, he'll still be attached to all the monitors, but you'll be able to use gentle kangaroo care by holding him inside your shirt to keep him warm, and Sam if he's okay with being held, you'll be able to breast feed him for the first time." He stated and Sam and Tom's face lit up light a lighthouse.

"Really?!" Sam smiled.  
"Yes. But you will have to be very gentle." He warned.  
"That's... That's just, brilliant. Thank you so much." Sam said.  
"I'm only doing my job."  
"No really, you've been amazing for all of them and we're really grateful." Sam said sincerely.  
"Well thank you. Anyway, it's thanks enough to be able to be head of the team for your octuplets, it's such a rare opportunity. But I'd better get going, I'll see you soon." He smiled before he left the room with his abundant pile of paperwork.

"I can't believe how lucky we've been." Sam admitted. "There's only ever been one set of octuplets in history, that all of them have survived for longer than a week, but it looks like there's going to be two now." She said proudly.  
"I know. It's probably because they've got your stubbornness." Tom retorted and Sam smiled to herself.

"Good evening." Mr T announced as he entered the room. "Just a quick check Sam, how heavy is the bleeding now?" He asked.  
"Um just like a normal period I suppose." Sam replied.  
"Okay, and how's the pain?"  
"It's alright when I'm sitting or lying down, it's just moving about that causes me pain." Sam explained.  
"Okay. Well, I think we'll be able to discharge you not tomorrow, but the day after." He stated.  
"Really?" Sam asked reluctantly becuase she didn't want to be discharged. Sure, being a patient meant that Mr T could tell her what to do and when to rest etc, but if she was discharged then she wouldn't have a bed in the hospital while her babies weren't allowed to leave.  
"Yeah, I don't see why not. You're healing well and you've had plenty of fluids to counteract the heavy bleeding. Have you had any dizziness at all? Or light headedness?" He asked and Sam momentarily thought to herself about lying just so that she could stay for a little longer. However, if she did have to stay, then she wouldn't be able to get out of bed of she said she had been dizzy so there was no point.  
"Nope." Sam replied eventually.  
"Okay. Well, just keep getting plenty of rest and you'll be out of here in no time." Mr T stated before he left the room.

"Right, I'm gonna go for a wash and a shave because I stink." Tom stated as he smelt his shirt and pulled a face.  
"No wait. Tom where are we gonna stay once I'm discharged?" Sam asked worriedly.  
"Um... Well we can speak to Mr Solis about maybe letting us sleep in NICU, I know some hospitals allow parents to stay overnight but I'm not sure about this one." Tom admitted.  
"And what if he says no?"  
"Then we'll sort something out. If all else fails, we can always stay in the oncall room down in the ED." He stated as he pulled out a clean set of clothes and his toiletry bag from his holdall. "We can ask him tomorrow Sam." Tom said to put the new mum at ease slightly before he slipped into the ensuite bathroom.

* * *

A little while later, Tom opened the bathroom door so that Sam wasn't by herself, whilst he stood with just a towel around his bottom half, and shaving foam around his neck and chin.  
"Just imagine, I'll have to teach my boys how to shave one day." Tom said proudly as he begun shaving his facial hair where stubble had began to accumulate.  
"Mm. I can imagine all four of you standing in hand bathroom with bits of toilet tissue stuck to your chin where you've cut yourself." Sam joked.  
"Ah, but I only have to deal with shaving and girlfriend problems, you've got periods, boobs, hormones and mood swings, boyfriend problems and broken hearts to deal with." Tom retorted and Sam pulled a face. "What?" He laughed.  
"But they teach that stuff at schools now don't they?"  
"I don't know do I- ow!" Tom shrieked as he raised his hand to his chin and inspected the damage inflicted by the hospital's disposable razor in the mirror.

"See, how can you teach people to shave, when you can't even do it properly in the first place?" Sam laughed.  
"Take it back, or I'll give you a big snog." Tom threatened as he approached his wife still with his face covered in shaving foam, with a few small dots of blood.  
"I take it back. You can _clearly_ shave properly." Sam said sarcastically and Tom rolled his eyes before he headed back to the bathroom.

**Thanks for reading, will Sam and Tom be able to stay in NICU once Sam is discharged? Or will they encounter even more problems than they already have face? Please review :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Tuesday 29th July 2014**

**8am**  
Sam and Tom were in NICU before Mr Solis was even on shift, and both were at different incubators as they slowly went round and said good morning to each of their children, despite the fact that six of them were sedated so only two could hear.  
"Ah, you're here bright and early." Mr Solis smiled as he came in his fresh pair of scrubs - for the past few days he had beaten the parents because Sam was still a patient who had to obey Mr T's instructions, but now he was being more lenient with her as she recovered.  
"Can we hold Aaron today? Or Jonny?" Sam asked quickly.  
"Good morning to you too." Mr Solis joked and Tom smiled to himself. "Um, now remember I said maybe you'd be able to hold him within a few days but not today I'm afraid. He's still on antibiotics and we're just waiting for him to gain a little bit more weight because all babies loose around 10% of their birth weight in the first few days, so he's very fragile and I don't want him to be disturbed or distressed - it will only delay his recovery." Mr Solis explained solemnly and Sam's face dropped because she had been optimistic.

"You'll be able to hold him soon Sam." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Oh um, actually there was something we wanted to ask you." Tom stated.  
"Oh right." Mr Solis nodded for Tom to continue as he glanced around at the babies' stats.  
"Well, we've been staying in Sam's hospital room overnight for now, but she's probably going to get discharged tomorrow. So we wanted to ask if it's possible for us to stay overnights in NICU?" Tom asked softly and kindly.  
"Um... Well we don't usually let parents stay in here in afraid. There's not really enough room." He stated as a nurse came in from the side room.  
"I was thinking about this. I mean we normally tell parents no because we can't fit 8 babies' parents every night and we couldn't let some parents stay and not others because it would be unfair. But, all eight babies in here only have one mum and dad so surely it isn't a problem." The young, friendly nurse explained as she sympathised for the parents.

"Um... Well I mean... If you were to stay you'd have to keep it quiet at all times and to keep everything tidy and hygienic. And as for beds well... I think we'd be able to get a mattress in here by the wall, but it would only be a single one." Mr Solis explained slowly.  
"Single is fine, we can share." Sam said eagerly.  
"Well, I'll have to speak to bed management but I'll try my best." Mr Solis stated.  
"Thank you!" Sam squealed quietly.  
"Thanks." Tom smiled.  
"No worries. I'm sure they'll understand if I say that presence from their parents overnight might, aid the infants' recovery." Mr Solis said suggestively. Suddenly, Aaron began to make little noises, before they quickly got louder into little cries. Mr Solis, the nurse and the two parents quickly walked over and saw the little infant had a red face and he wasn't happy. Suddenly, they could smell something and Tom being the immature person that he was, held his noise. "I do believe someone's had their first bowel movement." Mr Solis smiled. "Trust me, this is really good evidence that his internal organs are functioning well because his digestive system may be slow, but it's certainly working." He stated.

"Who wants to change the nappy?" The nurse asked as the looked at the two parents and Sam immediately looked at Tom.  
"I've already changed a wet nappy and-" Tom was interrupted as Jonny, the baby besides Aaron, began to make noises and the nurse noticed that the blue wetness indicator on the baby's nappy had turned darker.  
"I think Jonny's got a wet nappy." The nurse pointed out.  
"Right, I'll change Jonny and you can change Aaron." Sam stated.  
"Oh right, so I have to do the dirty work, thanks." Tom smiled sarcastically before he set about doing the task.

Mr Solis gave advice to Tom as he changed Aaron's dirty happy whilst the nurse helped Sam to change Jonny's wet one and soon, the two babies were settled once more.  
"You'll soon get the hang of it, trust me it'll soon become second nature with the eight of them." Mr Solis stated.

"So um, what's happening with all of them?" Sam asked. "I mean, I'm assuming Aaron and Jonny just need to develop a little more with no treatment, and I know Charlie's corrective surgery is going to be this Friday, but what about the other five? When are they gonna come off of the ventilators?" Sam asked.  
"Well... I know it's difficult, especially with all of them progressing at different stages but, we honestly can't say. I mean. Leah is certainly doing the best out of the younger five, so she'll probably come off first, but it may be in a week, two weeks we really can't tell." Mr Solis admitted and Sam had to bite her tongue to stop herself from speaking anymore because she was really getting frustrated. Her babies were three days old, and she hadn't been able to cuddle them, let alone feed them, which was really beginning to anger her. Though she knew she ought to be grateful for how well her babies were doing. "I'll go and speak to HR about that mattress." He stated before he and the nurse disappeared to give the parents some alone time.

"It's annoying isn't it?" Tom said softly as he put his arm around Sam's shoulder.  
"All we can do, is just sit by and wait." Sam muttered.  
"You can hold their hands. Or talk to them, read to them, sing to them." He suggested.  
"No, I just feel stupid." Sam stated.  
"Alright then, I'm gonna go back to your room and start packing our bags for tomorrow. So you can spend some time alone with them, and just give it a go. There's no one here listening to you and you're their mother, you're supposed to coo and sound stupid when you talk to them." Tom stated as he pecked Sam on the cheek and then left NICU, because he hoped that without him there, she would feel a little more comfortable.

* * *

After packing all of his and Sam's things away, ready for her discharge the next day, Tom silently entered NICU in the hope that he would find Sam being friendly with their babies, and thankfully he did. He didn't make a sound as he closed the door, and stood there, watching Sam holding a hand limply with Ellie, the smallest girl, whom he knew she had bonded the most with. And she was talking softly to the intubated and sedated infant.

"... soon. Because I can't wait to see what colour eyes you've got, and I can't wait to be able to give you a cuddle and tell you that everything's going to be okay, because you're my little fighter... Nobody thought you were gonna make your first night, but you proved everybody wrong..." He watched her pause for a few moments as she was obviously trying to think of things to say. "I'm sure you're probably gonna get teased by your brothers and sisters as you grow up for being the youngest, but I think being the youngest is better. It means you get more attention, and you've got more opportunity to make mistakes whereas - and I'm sure I will say this plenty of times in the future - your brothers are four minutes older so they should've known better. I'm sure they're gonna be right little pain in the bums if they're anything like your daddy." Tom could tell by her voice that she was smiling to herself. "He behaves like he's a ten year old, but his hearts always in the right place."

Tom smiled to himself before he cleared his throat and Sam quickly turned her head around to see her husband.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump." Tom smiled as he went over and placed his hands on Sam's shoulders.  
"How long have you been there?" Sam asked and Tom could see that her cheeks her flushed red a little big.  
"Not long. And don't be embarrassed about talking to your daughter. You see Ellie, mummy thinks she's really tough and she acts like she's hard, but I'm the only person who knows she's really a big softie." Tom cooed to his child and Sam smiled to herself.  
"You wish." She retorted.  
"And, for the record, mummy is really looking forward to having grandchildren so-"  
"That's not even funny!" Sam protested and Tom laughed to himself before he rested his chin on top of Sam's head because they both knew that the last thing that they wanted at that moment was another child in the family.

"Have you spoken to the others?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Everyone except Aaron and Jonny." Sam replied quietly.  
"Shall we make our way over to those gentlemen then?" Tom suggested. He watched as Sam reluctantly let go of Ellie's limp hand and rested it gently on the soft blanket besides her, before she stood up and grimaced. "What have I told you about standing up too fast? You have just had major surgery." Tom stated and Sam rolled her eyes as she slowly made her way over to the two incubators of the only two babies that weren't intubated, though they did sleep for a good 22 hours a day because being born at just 31 weeks gestation meant that they still had a lot of developing to do, and that really took the energy out of them.

"And how many times have I told you not to be patronising?" Sam moaned as she sat down on the seat that Tom had carried over for her. Tom sat down too, and they were sitting in the area between Aaron and Jonny's incubators so that they could both hold a hand with their sons. Sam rubbed more hand gel in, and held Aaron's hand, whilst Tom did the same and held Jonny's hand.  
"Go on then, talk." Tom ordered gently.  
"No, you talk." Sam ordered.  
"Is this just becuase I'm here?" Tom asked.  
"No. Look, I need the toilet." Sam stated as she slowly stood up.  
"What?"  
"Tom I mean it." Sam stated because she couldn't get past as his chair was in the way.  
"You didn't need to go five minutes ago." Tom stated.  
"Well sorry but carrying eight babies has made my pelvic floor muscles rather weak so if you don't let me past, I'll be standing in a puddle in a minute." Sam stated.

"Fine." He huffed. "No Sam, please I didn't mean to upset you. Sorry for being snappy." Tom said as he stood up and held his arms out. He realised that he hadn't been in a great mood - neither of them had all day becuase it was getting frustrating that they couldn't do anything, and their babies seemed to be making no progress to them, even though their health was rapidly improving.

Sam stepped into his embrace and rested her head against his chest where the smell of his aftershave always managed to make her feel safe. She remained there for a few moments before she pulled away.  
"Puddle." Sam said to remind Tom so he quickly moved out of the way and Sam took small but quick steps out of NICU and in the direction of the toilets.

* * *

Sam and Tom were just getting ready for bed in her hospital room after a long day of little progress in NICU.  
"Seeing as you're getting discharged tomorrow, why don't you come home for a couple of hours?" Tom suggested. "I mean, since your bed rest, you haven't been out of this hospital for two months and we've got a few things to do haven't we? I mean, you'll need to pack some more clothes because you haven't got many left, and I need to put my clothes in the wash too. You could either have a little nap, or pack some things like clothes for the babies, and I'll run the hoover over the house and give it a polish, I'm sure it'll be a bit dusty." Tom stated. "Hey, we'll have a proper oven so we could have a nice lunch and then make some fairy cakes like we used to, just to distract us for a little while." He added as he remembered their many attempts at making cookies and cakes in their kitchen when they had a spare afternoon and the kitchen would often look like a bomb site once they were finished.

"I don't know Tom." Sam sighed - she didn't want to leave her babies without their parents in case something went wrong, but then she also liked the idea of getting out of the hospital because she and been sleeping in that same room for almost two months and it was getting very dull.  
"Uncle Fletch still wants to meet his nieces and nephews. And he told me that he's always happy to sit in if we want some time to ourselves so I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help." Tom stated.  
"Won't he be working though?"  
"No, he's got this week off. He was telling me and he was bragging about his lie ins." Tom explained.  
"I... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give him a call then."

* * *

"Fletch says it's fine." Tom stated as he put the phone down after having a friendly conversation with him. "And he said that the whole ED wasn't sure what to get you or the babies, so they've all put money together and got a few collections and there's a small gift bag, a £100 mothercare gift card, a £100 Boots gift card and a £50 iTunes card which is intended for relaxing children's music and nursery rhymes." Tom explained happily.  
"Really? Wow. Ooh, I might have to go to boots tomorrow then." Sam stated,  
"Why?"  
"Because there's lots of things that I need to get."  
"Such as?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Well considering the first thing on my list is nipple cream, do you really want me to continue?" Sam asked rhetorically. "Nope, didn't think so." She concluded. "But don't let me spend forever in there." She added.  
"I won't." Tom muttered as the pair clambered into the small bed. Sam had to lie on her back because lying on her side was painful from her c section incision so Tom laid on his side to conserve space, and he kept one arm under her shoulders so he was holding her.

"Oh crap, I forgot I NICU asked for more milk." Sam stated as she slowly sat up and got the two bottles off of the side. Tom sat up besides her, and he had a massive grin on his face. "You are so annoying sometimes you know that?" Sam moaned as she reluctantly unbuttoned her pyjama top, unclipped her bra at the front and began massaging her breast to slowly fill the first bottle up with milk.  
"I thought you didn't use a pump because you wanted to waste time, surely now you want to hurry up?" Tom questioned.  
"I'll um, I'll get a pump tomorrow in Boots, you can only rent ones from the hospital here and I really don't like the idea of renting one. Besides, I'll use it enough to get the money's worth." Sam stated.  
"Okay. Why don't you do one breast, an I'll do the other to speed it up?" Tom suggested cheekily.  
"No!" Sam protested quickly. "You're just looking for an excuse to touch my boobs." Sam stated.

"Fine." Tom muttered sulkily. "Right, plan for tomorrow then, Fletch is coming at 10:30am, maybe a bit earlier so we can introduce him to Mr Solis, and then we can leave. We could stop in the high street on the way home and you can go to boots, while I go the tescos next door and I'll get ingredients for a nice meal, and the stuff to make our lovely cakes." He smiled. "And then we'll go home, sort out whatever we need to do, and come back to the hospital. And don't worry, Fletch said he's happy to stay until 5pm and that he wants us to enjoy ourselves." Tom stated as Sam continued to express.

Once she had finished filling the two bottles, she was stuck as she didn't have the energy to traipse down to NICU to deliver them.  
"Just push this." Tom stated bluntly as he pushed the button besides Sam's bed that signalled that she needed assistance, but that it wasn't an emergency.  
"Tom, they're not our skivys. We can't just tell them what to do." Sam whispered as a nurse entered the room.  
"What can I do for you?" She smiled.  
"I know it's a lot to ask, but would you mind popping these two down to NICU. We were just getting off to sleep but Sam forgot to take them down." Tom put on his sleepy voice to make it sound believable.  
"No problem." The nurse smiled as she gladly took the two warm bottles from Tom. "Would you like me to turn the light down on the way out?" She offered and Tom nodded before he rested his head down on the pillow and Sam closed her eyes to pretend that she was going to sleep too. They could see through their eyelids as the light was dimmed, and then they heard the click of the door close as she left.

"I can't believe you did that!" Sam whispered.  
"What? They're not paid to do nothing." Tom said innocently as he snuggled up to his wife in the dimly lit room. "Night night." Tom whispered.  
"Goodnight." Sam replied.

**Thanks for reading, will there be any problems when Sam leaves the hospital for the first time in months? Please review :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Wednesday 30th July**

Tom slowly opened his eyes to realise that he was flat on his face on the bed. He quickly sat up and saw that he was alone in the room, however there was a yellow post-it note on the bedside table reading :  
'**Down in NICU  
Sam x'**  
He got up off of the bed, brushed his teeth and had a wash, and just as he had finished getting changed, Sam and Mr T entered the room.  
"Morning." Sam smiled.  
"Why are you so cheery?" Tom queried.  
"She's officially discharged." Mr T stated as he signed one last document in her file and then closed it. "But remember what I've said, and you have to come to your future appointments okay?" He said sternly to Sam.  
"Yeah, thanks for everything. Mr Solis is getting all the credit from the press for helping the babies survive but if you hadn't have helped me to have a healthy pregnancy and performed the c section, then he wouldn't have the babies to look after in the first place." Sam stated gratefully as she shook the man's hand.  
"No worries, it was a privilege to be a part of the team." Mr T smiled.

* * *

Sam and Tom were relaxing in NICU, when Mr Solis came in with a small pile of white clothes.  
"I know you gave us white sleep suits for them, but they'd bit too big for them at the moment so I thought you'd like to put these on them for now, and these eight little hats there too. But you can't dress Charlie yet until he's had his operation." Mr Solis said softly as he handed Tom the pile of seven white sleep suits that were so small they would fit a young chihuahua, and eight small hats.  
"What? We can dress them?" Sam asked, because all of their kids had only been wearing a nappy since they had been born because of their wires.  
"Yes, all you need to do, is gently pull it on, and you can do it up, just make sure that all the wires come out at the top and behind their heads so they can't choke on them." Mr Solis stated. "In fact, it's probably best that I show you for one of them of that's okay." He began and Sam and Tom both nodded so they approached Bella, the second youngest girl. He didn't want to dress Aaron or Jonny because the parents would get some interaction from the babies as they weren't sedated, and he knew that Sam would definitely want to dress Ellie because those two females had developed a very strong bond. He took one of the sleep suits, removed the side panel of the incubator, and set about dressing the unconscious individual.

* * *

**10:20am**  
Sam and Tom's bags were already loaded in the car, and they were ready to leave, they were just spending some time in NICU, when Fletch arrived with a fairly large yellow gift bag, a larger blue gift bag and an A4 envelope. He entered NICU and couldn't believe the sight of the eight infants all in their own incubators. Seven of which were dressed in a white sleep suit and all had a cute white hat on.  
"Thanks for coming." Sam said quietly from her chair in the corner where she was sitting with her back facing the men and facing Ellie's incubator.  
"My pleasure." Fletch replied eventually. "Oh um, these are for you." He stated as he offered her the bag filled with bath and massage oils, chocolates and other gifts. "And this one is from Tom." He added as he gestured her the larger blue gift bag with presents that had been wrapped but Tom gently pulled Fletch back away from his wife.  
"She's expressing." Tom stated quietly.  
"Oh right, sorry." Fletch apologised as he stepped back a little further.  
"No, don't worry it's fine. And thanks, but I'll open them outside, they don't like loud noises." Sam said quietly as she nodded to the incubators.  
"Wow, these lot are adorable." Fletch exclaimed.  
"Well, they get their looks from me." Tom joked quietly.

Fletch was introduced to Mr Solis and each of the babies, before he settled and began to read one of them a story so once Sam had finished expressing, she and Tom headed downstairs with the two gift bags and the large card.

* * *

As they reached the hospital entrance, they were engulfed by a large swarm of journalists but Sam already felt guilty about leaving her children behind so combined with the vast amount of questions being thrown at her along with the constant bright flashes of the cameras, her eyes began to water.

The press were obviously thrilled at the fact that the new mother of eight was leaving her babies in the hospital so they could give her a bad image. And they obviously wanted photos of Sam's post pregnancy body too which made her feel self conscious because she knew she had dozens of stretch marks, and that her stomach was saggy - she had been carrying eight babies after all.

Tom wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders as he forced his way through the crowd for her, and they finally got to their car and Tom began to drive away.  
"Are you okay?" Tom asked softly as he focused on the road ahead of him.  
"Mmhmm." Sam replied as she took in a deep breath to control her left over emotions from the pregnancy.  
"Go on, open your presents." Tom encouraged.  
"I'll do the ED's ones first." Sam nodded as she picked up the yellow gift bag. She soon made her way through the bag of relaxing oils, chocolates, thick socks, lots of muslin cloths and the gift cards so she picked up the large heavy blue bag from Tom.

Confusedly, Sam first picked a thick envelope out of it and wondered what it was. But once she'd opened it, she'd found numerous vouchers for various things such as massages, showers together, nappy duties etc.  
"You're skipping ahead aren't you? 'Nappy duty for one night'?" Sam read off of one of them.  
"Well, I'm optimistic." Tom stated proudly. Sam then took a wrapped present out of the bag and unwrapped it to find one black, and one blue soft, mid-thigh length nightie. "I hope they should fit. But I know it gets warm in NICU and I was thinking for if you have to breast feed at night because it's got buttons at the top." He explained.

"Aw, that's a great idea Tom." Sam smiled.  
"Wait. I got something right?" Tom said sarcastically.  
"Haha." Sam retorted as she took out another wrapped present. She carefully took off the wrapping paper to reveal a deep sea blue hoodie. "Ooh." Sam smiled as she unfolded it to check for the general size on her body.  
"Um, before you panic, I have a feeling that we're being followed." Tom admitted and Sam discreetly looked in the mirrors to see two large black vans with blacked out windows behind them.

"This is a joke." Sam moaned. "Do they realise that I'm not royalty? I'm a human being with eight babies I don't see why the press are so interested in them."  
"Just ignore them, they can't do anything to us." Tom stated. "Go on, carry on with the presents." He smiled and Sam returned to the gift bag and took out a small cuboid shaped present. "Ah now, please don't take this present the wrong way. I'm not saying that you need this, I am merely saying that I think you want this." Tom explained as Sam unwrapped the present to find it to be a bottle of bio-oil that was used to reduce stretch marks.  
"No, I know what you mean. I was going to get something like this anyway. Thanks." Sam smiled as she put the box back in the bag.

* * *

Tom pulled up down the small high street where thankfully the Boots store and tescos were right next to each other. However unfortunately for Sam, there was the two black vans still behind them and they parked up too. Sam opened her car door and moved her legs over the side onto the pavement, but she grimaced as she tried to stand up, and she only ended up back down in the passenger seat. Tom rushed around her side of the car and gave her a helping hand out before he shut the car door and locked it.  
"How am I supposed to get what I need when those lot are here?" Sam complained quietly and Tom could tell she was embarrassed.  
"Sam, you're a new mum and you need certain toiletries. They're hardly gonna judge you on what you get are they?" Tom said reassuringly as he put his arm around Sam's shoulders and walked her into the Boots shop. Yesterday, he had planned to let her go in there alone whilst he went in tescos, to save her any embarrassment. But with the presence of the media, he didn't want to leave his vulnerable wife alone.

He grabbed a basket and stayed behind Sam in the hope that he would be able to see if anyone with a camera was following them. And thankfully, it didn't appear that anyone had left the black vans so he carried on following his wife through the store as she timidly filled with basket with sanitary towels, breast pads, nipple cream, a breast pump and other products in bulk because she was going to be staying in the hospital and she didn't want to have to go shopping again. She quite literally zoomed around the store as fast as her pain threshold would allow her because she wanted to get back to the hospital as soon as she could.

* * *

Once Tom paid with the gift voucher that Sam had received with her other presents, they entered the tescos next door with a small trolley.  
"Look, I know I said I was okay with it but, can we leave the cakes? Please?" Sam asked. "I just want to get back to NICU." She admitted.  
"I know, so do I as well but we've both got clothes that need washing to take back with us and the quick spin takes about half an hour, and they'll take at least another half an hour in the dryer so we're gonna have some spare time. We might as well make some cakes because they're fun and it'll take our minds off of things for a while, yeah?" Tom encouraged and Sam padded behind Tom as they arrived in the baking aisle.

"Can we at least get one of the ready made mixes to save some time because we'll need to clean up too. And there's no point in getting butter and things like that because it won't all get used." Sam stated as she looked at the mixes that only required eggs, oil and water.  
"Alright then." Tom agreed. "In fact, if we get two mixes then we can give everyone in NICU some." Tom stated and he watched as Sam immediately picked up a devils food cake mix.

* * *

With only one shopping bag that needed to be carried in - because everything else was going to the hospital - and their two holdalls, Sam and Tom opened their nine bedroom home's front door to find their doormat plastered with coloured envelopes, thick padded brown envelopes and a few small parcels that had been fitted through the letter box.  
"You carry on, I'll get them." Tom stated because he knew that she couldn't bend over without wincing in pain because of her abdomen. Both were confused as to how they had received so many cards, however Tom proceeded to take the shopping bag and holdalls through to the kitchen, before he gathered the stack of cards and parcels and took them through too. "Don't suppose you have an absolutely huge family that you forgot to tell me about have you?" He joked as he placed them all on the side.  
"Nope, but by the looks of things, they're mostly address to Mrs Kent, not Mr Kent." Sam stated smugly as she picked up the top pink envelope, opened it and took out a card congratulating her on her beautiful new babies - despite the fact that the only people who knew what their babies looked like was the NICU team and Fletch because they hadn't let any pictures slip out yet. But it was signed from pampers, the massive nappy company, and they were giving the new mum a £1000 voucher to spend on any pampers products. "I bet these are all companies trying to get their brand promoted." Sam concluded as she showed it to Tom.

"But then again, we really can't complain at that can we? I mean, we're gonna need to all the financial help we can get. I know we've got a lot in our bank from the magazine and from that website that put a picture of me on the internet, but we've got to think of the future because it isn't going to last forever." Tom stated.  
"No, I suppose not." Sam agreed as she picked up another envelope that was a turquoise/green colour. It was a congratulations card from mothercare giving a voucher for 50% off of the price of all baby clothing, and another giving 50% off of the price of all bedding, blankets and cribs. Tom then opened a card with a voucher from 'BabiesRUs' giving them a £5000 gift voucher - they had only opened three cards so far and there was a massive stack of them!

* * *

Sam and Tom were in their bedroom and all they could do was wait. The orange drizzle cake and the devils food cake were in the oven baking and the kitchen was all tidied up. Their clothes had just been put in the dryer, and Sam had already packed her bag with her prepregnancy clothes that were usually a bit baggy on her, so they would fit her now. They had gotten over an astounding £20,000 in vouchers from so many different brands and stores that sold baby products along with money offs and other deals! They were just so grateful, though they knew that the companies weren't interested in the family side of things, they just wanted publicity.  
"Right, we need to take some more books because I've read some of them several times." Tom stated as he and Sam walked into one of the few store rooms that were filled with products for the babies that they had bought with goodbye magazines money on their shopping spree.  
"Mm. And seeing as we can dress them now, we should take some hats and sleep suits in." Sam stated as she sorted through the boxes until she found the once containing clothes for newborns - they were probably a little bit on the big side for now, but she knew they would soon come in use once the hospital clothes became too small for them. "Ooh, actually I should probably bottle some more milk." Sam stated because she knew that she had to provide more and more milk to NICU, and to keep up with demand, she had to express regularly.  
"Go on, you go and I'll finish getting their stuff ready." Tom stated and Sam thanked him before she headed downstairs to use the breast pump for the first time.

* * *

As soon as tom parked in the hospital car park, Sam literally leapt out of her car despite the pain that it caused because she was desperate to see her kids. Tom had just opened the boot, when he noticed that Sam had already left the car to go to the hospital without taking a single bag!

* * *

Sam was almost running down the corridor but she paused outside NICU to catch her breath back, before she entered the unit.  
"No changes no?" Sam demanded off of Fletch who was a little taken aback.  
"Woah, calm down." He laughed softly as he stood up from the chair. "As far as I know, nothing's happened." He stated and Mr Solis then entered behind Sam.  
"Welcome back." The consultant smiled.  
"Any problems? Changes? Dirty nappies?" Sam asked and Fletch looked confused.  
"No, nothing at all." Mr Solis said to Sam before he turned to Fletch to explain. "Babies who are born prematurely often don't digest milk very well so it's a big milestone whenever they have a wet or a dirty nappy." Mr Solis stated and Fletch nodded in understanding when Tom entered with two holdalls in one hand and a third in his other.

"Oops." Sam said awkwardly. "Sorry, I forgot about the bags..." She admitted cheekily and Tom shook his head at her in disbelief at her childish side.  
"Don't worry about it." He said as he put the bags just inside of the door, out of the way and he noticed that there had been a single mattress placed at the very back of the room between Leah and Megan's incubators and it had been made up with pillows and a duvet.  
"Are there any more bags?" Fletch asked.  
"Um yeah, would you mind giving me a hand? Because I believe that _that_ one is currently occupied." Tom smirked as he nodded over at Sam who was already holding Aaron's hand. Fletch smirked too before he joined Tom and went back down to the car.

* * *

**11pm**  
Sam had finally called it a night of 'keeping guard' as Tom put it, but she had already been in her pyjamas and hoodie so she just had to slip beneath the covers next to Tom in the small mattress. She felt Tom's arms wrap around her stomach before he nuzzled her neck with his nose as he rested his head behind hers on the same pillow.  
"You finally coming to bed?" Tom said sarcastically yet sleepily.  
"I just need to check my phone." Sam stated as she brought her hands above the cover and put her phone just in front of her. There was a text from Fletch telling her to ignore what the journalists are saying about her and Tom. "What does that mean?" Sam asked confusedly and Tom lifted his head to see the text - the text had obviously been received earlier because Sam always turned her mobile systems off when she entered NICU - though she could still use the hospital wifi.  
"Um... I don't know. Try looking at the news." Tom suggested, so Sam opened the internet to google, and clicked on the news tab. But the first news story that came up infuriated both the new parents.

It basically claimed that Sam and Tom were being bad parents by leaving the babies alone in NICU for a couple of hours when they were just four days old, and that instead of spending time with their sick children, they had bought ingredients to make cakes.  
"Right, that's it." Sam muttered to herself as she opened a new tab and opened her Facebook account.  
"What are you doing? Don't do anything you're gonna regret Sam, don't forget it's late." Tom stated cautiously, but he watched as he wife gave a rather large status update :  
_For those saying me and my husband 'abandoned' our children today, I have spent hours on end with my children, so much so that I'm currently lying on the floor on a mattress in NICU with Tom because we don't want to sleep at home, away from them. We didn't abandon them, we were out of the hospital for no more than two and a half hours and I missed my children so much when I was away from them. But the truth is, if me and Tom spend all of our time in NICU, we're gonna make ourselves sick because we can't keep ourselves cooped up all day in a room, where we have to play the waiting game. Also, could the press please stop camping outside the hospital and following us because we're no different from any other new parents, and you are getting in the way of ambulances._

"There. See what they think about that." Sam concluded as she placed her phone under the pillow that they were sharing, and then she made sure she was safely within Tom's arms before she let herself drift off into a deep sleep...

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thursday 31st July**

**8am**

Sam had just returned from having a wash and shower, to find Mr Solis and Tom standing by Charlie's incubator.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong at all, we were just waiting for you to discuss his treatment for the spina bifida, that's all." Mr Solis smiled. "Now, I need your signature to take Charlie for an MRI so that we can get a good image of what we're operating on tomorrow." Mr Solis stated as he handed Sam a red clipboard.

Sam timidly glanced at Tom to ensure that he was okay with it, and he gave her an encouraging nod and smile so she signed it.

"Right, well we'll take him for his MRI at 9am, and his operation is actually 9am tomorrow. But we do need to discuss some issues, that could've been caused by the spina bifida because they aren't going to be fixed by the operation." Mr Solis stated. "Now, we don't know about any of these yet because he's been sedated and he hasn't had a wet or dirty nappy, but there could be some degree of, or total paralysis in his lower limbs, bladder or bowel incontinence, loss of skin sensation, and sometimes there are even problems with a short attention span, difficulty solving problems or reading, difficulty in understanding some spoken language and difficulty with visual and physical co-ordination, for example tasks such as tying shoelaces or fastening buttons." Mr Solis explained softly.

"And when will we know?... If there are any problems?" Sam asked curiously yet quietly.

"Well, severe paralysis will probably be detected when Charlie is brought off of sedation so that we can see how he moves but minor paralysis will be detected if he starts to fall behind his brothers and sisters at crawling and walking. Bladder and bowel incontinence is hard to pick up in babies because obviously they don't have much control when they are born, but that is usually picked up during potty training, and the learning difficulties are something for you to look out for. Otherwise, they might not be recognise until he begins education." Mr Solis explained.

"And, in your professional opinion, do you think he's got any of those?" Sam asked clinically and Tom slipped his hand into Sam's for support.

"Honestly, we really can't say yet because it's too early, but becuase the spina bifida is in his lower back, I'd like to say that paralysis of his lower limbs is unlikely because those sorts of problems usually come from the condition being further up in the spine." Mr Solis stated.

* * *

Sam was checking her phone for the first time that day and realised that she had loads of notifications on here facebook account. She opened it, and her mouth hit the floor.

"Tom, look at this." Sam said as quietly made her way across to Summer's incubator and showed him her phone.

"Jesus Christ!" He smirked. Sam's status - or rather angry rant - that she had posted the previous night, had gotten 132,846 likes, and 17,391 shares in less than 12 hours! "Wow, and the comments too." He smiled as Sam scrolled through all if the friendly comments that agreed with Sam because they didn't believe that she was a bad mum, and they also disapproved of how much the press were following the new family. Tom gently pulled Sam onto his lap sideways as they looked through the comments for a while, and then Tom resumed holding a hand with Summer whilst he kept his other hand on Sam's thigh.

"I feel really bad... I mean how are we supposed to be giving them all the same amount of attention while 6 of them are sedated?" Sam huffed.

"Im sure it'll get easier once they progress more because once they come off of the ventilator, we'll want spend more time with them, and it might sound harsh, but it's true." Tom stated. "I've got to go back to work next Wednesday." Tom sighed and unfortunately that was true too, because Tom had already taken the maximum paternity leave of two weeks. And neither of them wanted Tom to go back to work because Sam didn't want to be alone in NICU, and Tom didn't want to leave his babies, but he had no other choice, other than to leave his job. And with eight new babies and Sam on a poor maternity pay, he couldn't afford to do that.

"I know but... You'll still be able to come here on your lunch break, and mornings and evenings." Sam stated.

"Can you let me know if there's any news? Even if its a wet nappy, just give me a call or a text yeah?"

"I will." Sam nodded as she rested her head against Tom's chest. Slowly, Tom felt her become heavier and heavier until he realised that she had fallen asleep on his lap. Obviously the shopping trip the day before had worn Sam out. After all, it was her first time out of the hospital in two months and she had been carrying eight babies inside of her for 31 weeks whilst they got first choice of Sam's nutrients and she was left with almost nothing for her own body.

Sam was still fast asleep on top of Tom, and he too was slowly falling asleep however he jumped a little as Mr Solis entered the unit. The consultant was surprised that they were sleeping considering it was only afternoon, however he was sure that they wouldn't mind being woken for the news that he had.

"Would you mind waking Sam up please?" Mr Solis asked softly.

"Yeah sure." Tom replied as he tried to sit up, only Sam was quite a bit heavier than she had been before her pregnancy months ago as she was yet to lose the baby weight so he failed. "Sam... Sam... Samantha." Tom sung softly and Sam wrinkled her nose before she opened her eyes. "Well now we know why Ellie always twitches her nose." Tom smirked as he straightened up a bit and then they both looked attentively at Mr Solis.

"I've got two bits of news for you. Firstly, if Leah continues to develop at her current rate of improvement, then we will attempt to take her off of the ventilator on 4th August." Mr Solis stated and Sam and Tom smiled.

"And you think she's definitely ready?" Sam asked.

"I don't see why not, her lungs are almost as strong as her brothers' and she's just finished the course of precautionary antibiotics so she should hopefully be feeling a bit stronger in a day or two." Mr Solis replied confidently.

"And the second bit of news?" Sam asked impatiently.

"Ah, this one is a bit more exciting." Mr Solis smiled. "How would you like, to give Aaron his first cuddle?"

"Wh- really?" Sam asked in disbelief, as she'd thought that that day would never come - she had not yet held any of her babies at all, and they were already 5 days old.

"Really." Mr Solis nodded.

"What? Now?" Tom asked and Mr Solis nodded once more - he loved this perk of the job when babies hit large milestones in their lives.

"Tom, you hold him first." Sam ordered as she got to her feet.

"What? No, he's your little boy, you carried him for months so you deserve to hold him first." Tom said softly as he too stood up to stretch his legs.

"No, honestly. Look if you hold him now, then I can breastfeed him later. If that's possible?" Sam queried with Mr Solis.

"Yes, of course. If that's what you want." He stated. "Now Tom, you might want to change into a shirt that buttons up because it's best to begin with kangaroo care." Mr Solis stated and Tom went behind them to his holdall to get changed. "It's basically when you unbutton your shirt, hold baby on your lap and inside your shirt to keep him warm. You just have to be careful of the wires." Mr Solis explained softly as he took the lid off of Aaron's incubator and Tom, who had returned in a black and white checkered shirt that wasn't done up, sat down besides it.

Sam stood besides Tom as Mr Solis very carefully, picked up the infant in a white sleep suit and white hat.

"No pressure." Sam said quietly into Tom's ear jokily.

"Now, he's a little bit too fragile for bouncing at the moment, but the main thing is to keep him nice and calm." Mr Solis said softly as Tom opened his shirt, and Mr Solis placed Aaron on Tom's thigh. He wrapped the shirt around his baby as he rested against his father's chest, and all the adults were smiling.

"Sshh, sshh." Tom said softly as Aaron let out a few little noises before he settled down and closed his eyes once more. "He's a lot lighter than I thought he'd be." Tom admitted.

"Well at his last weigh in, he was 2lbs 13ozs." Mr Solis stated. The small baby, still with a wire attached to his foot to monitor blood pressure, and a nasal cannula providing oxygen, was adorable as he bonded with his father, and Sam looked down wondering if she would find it that easy. "Right, would you like me to organise Aaron's routine so that you can hold him tomorrow when Charlie goes in for his operation? Just to keep you occupied." Mr Solis asked.

"Um yes... Yes please." Sam replied quietly as she began to panic once more about the operation that would take place in less than 48 hours time. "I'm just gonna go to the toilet." Sam muttered before she disappeared from the unit, leaving Tom to hold his baby without his wife's support.

"God, having eight sick babies is so confusing and frustrating. And Sam's feeling worse than me." Tom sighed as he gently stroked Aaron's back.

"I know- well actually, I don't personally know but I can imagine. And I do know how annoying it is that you can only wait, and that you can't intervene, especially considering that you're doctors yourselves." Mr Solis replied. "When we get Sam to feed Aaron for the first time, I think we'll try it with her lying down on the mattress. It might take a bit of the pressure off of Sam, and it'll be best because of her recent surgery." Mr Solis stated.

"That's _if_ we get her to feed him." Tom joked halfheartedly.

"Well, this is only a small suggestion but why don't you try taking Sam home for a night maybe once a week? And maybe she could go down to the ED and see her colleagues. Because the less time she spends in NICU, the more she'll appreciate it." Mr Solis suggested.

"I'd... Rather not, go home, I mean we're only just starting to get somewhere with holding Aaron so he'll need feeding by Sam won't he? I just don't want to leave them for such a long time." Tom admitted. "I mean, me and Sam wake up in the night sometimes, um not at the same time but just sometimes we've got too much to think about to be able to sleep, and the easiest thing to do is to read a story to them, or just to hold their hand."

"No, I completely understand." Mr Solis nodded.

Tom cuddled Aaron a little longer before Sam returned and she looked like she had been crying.

"Um... Shall we get this little man back to bed?" Tom said to Mr Solis as he gave him a look, so the consultant gently took Aaron and placed him back in his incubator, before he put the lid back over.

"I'll leave you to it." Mr Solis forced a smile before he left the room.

"Come and have a lie down." Tom said softly as he guided Sam to the mattress on the floor, and both of them faced each other under the covers. "Now, c'mon tell me. What's wrong?" He asked curiously.

"Who said anything is wrong?" Sam protested weakly.

"I'm your husband, and I know when something is up." Tom stated softly as he stroked her hair. "You look pale." He commented.

"I've just got a bit of a stomach ache, I'll be fine."

"Stomach ache as in you're ill, or stomach ache as in female stomach ache?" Tom queried awkwardly.

"Female." Sam muttered.

"Are you still bleeding?"

"Of course I am, I'm gonna be bleeding for the first few weeks. At least." Sam stated.

"Alright then, you've got a tummy ache. But why were you crying? Because you have an extremely high pain threshold."

"I just... No don't worry, it's stupid." Sam mumbled.

"No, c'mon. Tell me, I'm sure it's not."

"I'm worried about Charlie's operation." Sam mumbled very quietly as she pulled the duvet up to her chin.

"That's not stupid Sam, I'm worried too." Tom whispered as he pulled Sam into his arms and gently rubbed her back. "But I'm sure he's gonna be fine, they're all fighters... Maybe it'll help for us to get a calendar and write down all the times that something is happening so Leah coming off of the ventilator on the 4th of August, I'm going back to work on the 6th... I think that if we start a calendar it'll help us to focus on what happens next." Tom explained as he rested his chin on top of Sam's head.

As Sam felt safe in Tom's arms, she felt her uterus contracting to expel the blood lining that had cushioned her eight children for months and she couldn't help but curl up a little.

"Can you rub my back please?" Sam mumbled - she really wanted him to massage her abdomen because they had helped her through her menses before she fell pregnant but because of her stitches, that wasn't possible. She also knew the science as to why the pain gas getting worse - because she had barely entered labour before she had a c section, her uterus wasn't fully prepared for contractions and so sometimes it slowed down and sped up, resulting in a disjointed shedding of the uterine lining.

"Yeah sure." Tom whispered as he slipped his arms underneath her thin shirt, and then palpated her skin on her back. "Have you taken any painkillers?" Tom asked.

"I took them when I went to the toilet. They should kick in soon." Sam croaked.

"Okay." Tom carried on rubbing Sam's back for a good quarter of an hour, and he was about to ask if he could stop because his hands were aching. However, Sam had already fallen asleep - she was having another nap - so he just stopped and rested his hands on her soft skin.

* * *

"Wakey wakey..." Sam heard her husband sing softly as she opened her eyes to realise that she was on the mattress on the floor of NICU, and Mr Solis and Tom were standing over her. "Stay there, you can feed Aaron lying down." Tom stated and Sam suddenly realised that Tom had her son in his arms and Mr Solis was holding the oxygen canister that was attached to the tube that went under Aaron's nose. Sam was on her side as Tom laid Aaron down on the mattress besides his mummy, and he was in nothing more than a nappy, with a blanket underneath him, because they wanted to encourage skin to skin contact.

Tom knelt down besides the mattress, and Mr Solis did too, but Sam felt like she had an unnecessary audience.

"I'm only here because I'm a lactation specialist." Mr Solis said softly as Sam unbuttoned her shirt whilst Tom made sure that Aaron didn't wriggle off of the mattress. Sam had been wearing a nursing bra to make expressing easier, so she unclipped it and then scooped her arm around Aaron to get him closer to her. "Now because he's premature, you might have a few problems with latching..." Mr Solis stopped talking once he realised that Sam had already latched Aaron on, and he was suckling away.

"Really?" Sam asked innocently with a smug look on her face.

"Well done." Tom smiled proudly.

"Yes, well done indeed." Mr Solis nodded as the infant used his tiny hands to keep hold of his mother's breast. "Though you shouldn't assume that it will be this easy to feed the others." He warned.

"I won't." Sam said meaninglessly as she focused on her son, because it felt a little weird, however she still liked it because to her, that immediate bond meant that Sam was confident that her baby loved her because he was sure as to who his mum was.

"Right, let me know when you think he's done, but for now I'll give you some time alone; I'll just be in the side room." Mr Solis stated before he got to his feet and left the room,

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Mr Solis returned because he knew that Aaron had an incredibly small stomach that wouldn't take long to fill, however Aaron was still latched on to his mother with his eyes closed.

"Is he still feeding?" The consultant asked curiously.

"No, he's just staying there." Sam smiled softly.

"Well I think it's time that we put him back to bed I'm afraid." Mr Solis admitted.

Sam looked disappointed as Tom wrapped the blanket around Aaron, and tried to lift him up, however he began to cry as he kept hold of his mother's breast, and as soon as Tom let go of Aaron and laid him on he he mattress again, he immediately stopped making noises and snuggled up to Sam.

"Can't he stay here for a while? Please? He's nice and warm." Sam asked as she snaked her arm around his body again and she let her son latch on again, though he wasn't actually feeding.

Mr Solis bent down and checked Aaron's forehead with the back of his hand, before he stood up once more.

"If he's not distressed, I don't see why not." Mr Solis admitted. "But you must keep him warm." He warned and Sam nodded. "Right, I'm gonna be in the side room." He stated before he left the room again.

Tom sat on the floor cross legged in front of Sam and Aaron, and looked at the beautiful sight before him.

"I bet that this morning, you didn't think that this would be happening did you?" He smiled.

After a little while longer, Aaron began to loosen his grip on Sam as he just laid on his side facing his mother, and slipped into a deep sleep.

"He's adorable isn't he?" Sam whispered happily.

"Well he must get that from me eh?" Tom joked.

"You wish." Sam smirked as she slowly moved to do up her bra and shirt back up.

"Oh, I was enjoying the view." Tom pouted and Sam rolled her eyes as she settled back down with Aaron with her arm creating a little barrier around him as if she was guarding him.

"I'm just waiting for him to ruin the moment by having a wee or something." Sam stated as she slowly closed her eyes.

"All you've done is sleep today." Tom protested.

"I suppose it's the anaemia catching up on me." Sam mumbled as she opened her eyes and looked at her son as he squirmed a little and then grabbed hold of Sam's breast again through her shirt.

"Have you been taking your iron tablets every day?" Tom asked curiously.

"Not quite..." Sam admitted quietly.

"Why not? Sam they're fairly high dosage because you're severely anaemic." Tom stated.

"But that's just it Tom, they're high dose which means the side effects are even worse." Sam moaned quietly so that she didn't disturb her child.

"What side effects?" Tom asked.

"You're a doctor, you should know." Sam stated.

"Okay um, nausea? Vomiting?" Tom asked and Sam shook her head. "Diarrhoea? Constipation?" He asked awkwardly and Sam nodded. "Which one?"

"Both, it's one one day and the other the next day." Sam stated. "They just make me feel awful." She added as she tickled Aaron's cheek with her thumb.

"Well how about-" Tom stopped as Mr Solis returned from the side room.

"Right, sorry but I really would like to get Aaron back into his incubator." Mr Solis stated solemnly.

"Okay, I'll get him." Tom said softly as he got off of his bum and squatted besides the mattress whilst Mr Solis grabbed the oxygen canister. They slowly took him back to his incubator, and attached the blood pressure monitor back to his foot, but the infant was clearly unsettled at being taken away from his mummy. Sam took Tom's hands to help her up, and then she went and held Aaron's hand through the side flap.

"It's okay... Sshh." Sam whispered. "Sshh..." She repeated softly until the little boy soon quietened down.

"Well he's certainly okay with being held." Mr Solis stated. "Just the taking away bit that he doesn't like." He joked halfheartedly. "It's up to you of course, but if you want, you could take up breastfeeding him full time." Mr Solis stated.

"How often is he fed?" Sam asked curiously.

"He has a small amount every 3 hours day and night." Mr Solis stated. "So at midnight, 3am, 6am etc." He added.

"Okay, I'll feed him." Sam nodded after glancing at Tom.

"But don't forget, you'll still need to express for Jonny for now." Mr Solis stated.

"Yep, sure. In fact, I'd better do that now." Sam yawned as she went over and grabbed a sterilised bottle from the box - even though she had to express into a bottle, none of them had drank from it because they either had been fed via a tube to their stomach (like Aaron and Jonny), or they only had IV nutrients like the others.

"My shift is over now, but the oncall consultant will be here any minute in case you need any help. But make sure you get plenty of rest, I think tomorrow is going to be a long day." Mr Solis hinted at Charlie's operation, before he left the room with only the eight babies and two parents left in the room.

"Breastfeeding eight times a day." Sam smirked at what she had let herself into whilst she put the lid on the bottle full of breast milk that she had just expressed. "And that's just one of them." She added.

"Well it's definitely the best for Aaron at the moment so I think you made the right choice." Tom stated as he went over, put his hands on Sam's shoulders and gave her a gentle massage to relieve her tensed muscles. "But you also need to look after yourself, and you can start but going to see Mr T about changing the iron tablets to another type." Tom stated sternly.

"I will... Tomorrow." Sam nodded reluctantly.

"Do you want to try getting some shut eye before his next feed?" Tom suggested.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Sam smiled as she padded over to the mattress on the floor. "Hey, I can wear one of those nighties you got me now." She stated as she pulled out the dark blue nightie with buttons at the top.

"You do realise that you're technically not supposed to be getting changed in here right?" Tom smirked as Sam unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off, but she remained facing away from him to hide her hideous stomach.

"You do realise that you're not supposed to be watching." Sam warned as she pulled the nightie over her head and pulled it down so that her bottom half was covered as she pulled her trousers down because the maternity pads that she had to wear made her look like she was wearing a nappy.

"No, I'm your husband I'm allowed to watch." Tom smiled as he came up behind Sam and kissed her behind the ear which he knew always gave her goosebumps - in a good way.

"You coming to bed?" Sam asked as she slowly made her way down to the mattress and then slid under the duvet.

"Um not just yet, I'm just going to read them a story first." Tom stated as he turned on his heel and headed for the story box that he had brought from their home.

"Each? That means you won't be in bed for another hour and a half." Sam stated as she got comfy and closed her eyes. Tom went over and kissed Sam goodnight on her forehead, before he began to read the first story to Bella because he didn't like always going in age order.

Soon, Sam fell asleep to the sound of her husband's soft voice, reading to their children. But after finally being able to hold their oldest child, would the next day be as productive with little Charlie's operation on his spina bifida?

**Thanks for reading, please review :) **


	25. Chapter 25

**1st August**

**6:05am**  
Tom awoke once again, because the thought of his son going into major surgery at just six days old was frightening. But for once, as he woke up, he couldn't feel Sam besides him on the single mattress, so as he turned around, he found that Sam was sitting on a chair besides Aaron's incubator and she was breastfeeding with her knees up, almost to her chest supporting some of her son's weight.

He slowly rose from the mattress, and padded over to Sam where he saw the chair next to her was covered by a calendar flipped to August and it was dotted with small phrases.  
"Couldn't sleep?" Tom asked.  
"No... It's just gone six, he needed feeding and one of the nurses woke me." Sam replied softly. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulder so that barely any of her chest could be seen, and the blanket continued over her legs because in her midthigh length nightie, she needed to cover up. "I'm not really tired though, probably because of the naps yesterday." Sam stated and Tom smiled.

"Did he latch on okay?"  
"Yeah, though I'm pretty sure it's just because he was hungry, because he is really going for it." Sam stated and Tom pulled back the blanket ever so slightly to see his son suckling away as though if he wasn't quick, his source of milk would be taken away from him. Tom then followed the tube that ran under his son's nose and down to an oxygen canister and he began to wonder about what was going to happen when either Aaron would probably be discharged first, when their other siblings were still on ventilators because either Sam or Tom would have to go home to look after them. But he decided against asking Sam because they already had enough happening on that day with Charlie's operation.

"Have you started that calendar I said about?" Tom asked as he picked up the calendar from the spare chair and then sat next to his wife.  
"Yeah, we've got Leah coming off the ventilator on the 4th, you're going back to work on the sixth, Mr Solis said about trying Aaron off of the oxygen for an hour or two tomorrow so I've put that on there too." Sam explained. "And obviously... Charlie's operation is today." She added quietly.

"Are, you alright if I go and talk to him for a little while?" Tom asked.  
"Yeah sure." Sam nodded as she pulled Aaron's white hat down a little bit to keep him nice and warm. Tom grabbed his chair and silently placed it besides his son who was the most poorly out of the boys by far.

* * *

**9:45am**  
Sam and Tom were standing by Charlie's cot alone, after being given a few minutes with their child before he was taken to be prepped in theatre.  
"You're gonna be a fighter, just like your brothers and sisters... And it doesn't matter if you can't walk or if you have learning disabilities because what matters, is that you're with us." Tom said softly as he held Sam's hand in one, and Charlie's hand in the other. The sedated and intubated young boy was the heaviest out of all of the babies as he was born at 3lbs and 4ozs, and he was propped on his side with the bulge on his back out in the open. "Me and mummy can't wait to hold you, and trust me when you're allowed to try some of mummy's milk, you'll be hooked for life. Ask Aaron, he loves it." Tom said to his son and Sam laughed at how it was so easy for him to talk to them unlike her who found it more difficult.

Sam had her hand, resting on Charlie's tiny foot as Tom was occupying his hand.  
"I love you." Sam whispered.  
"You hear that? Mummy doesn't say that very often." Tom smiled and Sam rolled her eyes but the movement caused an unwanted tear to escape. Before she could wipe it away, Tom brushed it away with his thumb and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry, but we really must get him prepped now." Mr Solis said solemnly as he and a nurse approached the incubator.  
"We'll see you soon." Tom said softly as he kissed his fingers and then gently placed them on Charlie's chest before he stepped back and let the consultant and nurse organise the various wires to make the incubator transportable. Tom wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders as they both watched them for support.  
"I promise, I'll send a nurse as soon as there's anything to update you." Mr Solis said kindly as he and the nurse wheeled the incubator out of the room, and Tom was surprised as Sam collapsed into the chair behind her and more tears rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, it's okay... Whatever happens, me and you are gonna get through this together." Tom said softly as he squatted in front of her and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "Look, I think the best thing to do is to keep occupied, so why don't we dress Aaron and Jonny? They could do with a change." Tom suggested. Reluctantly, Sam nodded as she stood up with caution and then followed her husband to the baby clothes cupboard...

* * *

**11am**  
The three hour operation was only an hour underway and Sam and Tom were close to climbing the walls from boredom as they just wanted to be watching from the gallery of the theatre, but they know that that wouldn't help anyone, least of all Mr Solis who was operating upon their small child.

They were both sitting besides Megan's incubator, when suddenly, Jonny began to cry softly and they quickly heightened to cries of distress.  
"Nurse!?" Tom demanded as he leapt up out of his seat, swiftly followed by sam and a nurse sprinted out of the side room, only when she saw where the petrified parents were, she saw no cause for concern as none of his stats hadn't changed. But nonetheless she approached the incubator and sense the problem immediately.  
"Don't worry, in fact if this is what I think it is, you shouldn't be upset." The nurse said softly as she took the side panel of the incubator off and undone one of the side straps on Jonny's nappy. "Yep, this is brilliant, he's had his first bowel movement." She stated and Sam and Tom let out a sigh of relief simultaneously. "Who wants to change him?" She asked and Sam and Tom both pointed at each other.

"Tom... I'm not feeling very well." Sam lied unconvincingly as she hugged her stomach.  
"Really? Because you were fine just now." Tom raised an eyebrow as he saw right through her. "Well I suppose I'd better take you to go and see Mr T then." Tom stated and Sam huffed.  
"Fine. I'll change it." She muttered and Tom smirked.

* * *

Sam and Tom were sitting in NICU going bored out of their skulls whilst they waited for news. It had been almost 3 hours so they were due to be informed any minute, yet Sam was biting her nails and Tom was clicking his fingers to pass the time. Suddenly, the silence was broken as Mr Solis himself entered the unit and Sam and Tom jumped to their feet.  
"I thought I'd come and tell you myself, that the operation went as well as it could've gone." Mr Solis stated as he pulled his theatre cap off. "He is in recovery at the moment, but it's best that you don't go and see him until he's back in NICU when he'll be more stable. In the meantime, we are going to keep him sedated for a few days before we wake him up so that he can heal before he starts moving around."

"And how long until he's back in here?" Sam asked impatiently.  
"Um, hopefully he should be back in by evening tonight." Mr Solis stated. "But that does give us some time to discuss a new form of treatment for Jonny and Aaron." Mr Solis smiled.  
"Which would be?" Sam asked impatiently.  
"Co-sleeping, or sleeping in the same incubator. I believe that it will help them to gain weight faster and to sleep easier." Mr Solis replied wisely.  
"I did want to ask about that actually." Tom admitted...

* * *

Because Aaron was more stable and used to being handled, he had been the one to be moved into Jonny's incubator rather than the other way around. And as soon as the two babies, in just their nappies and their various monitors - including the tube under their nose providing oxygen - had been laid next to each other, they were settled. And within minutes, both were fast asleep.

Clearly the distraction from worrying about Charlie, who was still in recovery, was working for the parents because both were smiling at their little boys getting along. Tom looked down and saw Sam's fingers twitching slightly so he entwined his fingers with hers and gave her hand a small squeeze.  
"Just think, when you went into labour, you were panicking that it was too early. But they're all doing really well aren't they?" Tom said softly.  
"Mm. Although Ellie isn't making much progress." Sam mumbled.  
"It doesn't matter how small, just that she is actually making progress at all." Tom stated. "And Charlie made his operation, that's a big step for him. Aaron and Jonny have already had wet and dirty nappies, Leah is almost ready to come off of ventilation, Megan, Summer and Bella are still on ventilation but their lungs are getting stronger every day." Tom said reassuringly, and to hear it like that did make Sam happier because she was lucky for all of her children to have made it this far. She knew that if they made their first week, they'd have a fighting chance and at six days old, they had very nearly made it.

They spent a little longer, watching their children next to each other when Sam decided to break the silence.  
"Once Charlie is back in here, I'll go and see Mr T about the iron tablets." Sam stated.  
"I'll come with you." Tom stated and Sam tried to argue back but Tom stopped her. "No, I'm coming with you. The kids are stable, I need to make sure that my wife is okay too." He said sternly.

* * *

The parents had been warned that Charlie was on his way down to NICU, and so they were eagerly awaiting his arrival, because if he was able to leave the recovery unit, it meant that he was obviously doing well. It seemed like forever, however it had only actually been a few minutes, until their son's incubator was wheeled in by a nurse and Mr Solis. The little boy had a two inch row of stitches along his lower back and he was laid on his front to prevent pressure on them. He was still sedated, and intubated, and the row of stitches was inflamed as expected after only a few hours after surgery but the sight still startled Sam a little as Mr Solis attached his machines back to the wall and ensured he was settled.

"Don't worry, hopefully the redness will fade away within the next 12 hours, but he's on pain relief so don't worry about him being in pain." Mr Solis said softly to comfort the mother who looked worried.  
"So what happens now?" Sam asked.  
"Well like I said, we'll keep him intubated and sedated for the next few days, and then we will try to take him off of the ventilator and let him breath by himself if he can manage it." Mr Solis explained. "He's stable, and he did have a wee in recovery so his digestive system is beginning to function properly."  
"He had a wee?" Tom asked happily and Mr Solis nodded.  
"Yes, he's certainly getting there." The consultant stated.

"So, I know you can't really say but how long roughly, until you think Aaron can come home?" Tom asked.  
"We'll see how Aaron deals with being off of the oxygen tomorrow and then I'll have a better picture of his health, but almost certainly not for another couple of weeks yet." Mr Solis stated.  
"And, I'm guessing Ellie's going to be the last one discharged." Sam asked.  
"Well, not for definite, but it is looking that way, yes." Mr Solis replied.

* * *

Tom had just returned from the toilet as he reentered NICU, and he found his wife had moved to sit besides Ellie and hold her hand.  
"Right, seeing as Charlie's settled in, shall we go and see Mr T?" Tom suggested. Sam broke her gaze at Ellie and peered suspiciously at her husband.  
"You're not gonna give up until I go and see him are you?" Sam moaned.  
"Nope." Tom smiled smugly and Sam rolled her eyes.  
"Come on then." She huffed as she got up and gently let go of Ellie's hand before they headed to obs and gynae.

* * *

Thankfully, Mr T didn't have an appointment so he was free to see Sam as she and Tom entered his consult room and sat on he he chairs in front of his desk.  
"Right, what can I do for you?" He asked cheerily.  
"I've been experiencing side effects of the ferrous sulphate tablets so I need my prescription to be changed to another form of iron supplements." Sam stated clinically.  
"Right, and what side effects have you been having?" Mr T asked.  
"Constipation followed by bouts of diarrhoea in an endless cycle every few days." Sam stated quietly.  
"Right, okay. Well I don't think that changing the tablets will help because it's obviously your digestive system that has the problem and most other tablets can't be taken during breastfeeding, so I think maybe giving you injections will almost certainly fix the problem." Mr T explained. "Though, it's probably best not to breastfeed for a few hours after having the injection, and you'll need the injection once a week, for about a month roughly. So, the best course of action would be for you to go and express as much breast milk as you can in the next hour or two, then come back and I can give you the injection and the other three doses so you won't have to come back. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, that sounds fine." Sam nodded as it was much easier than she had thought it would be. Though she was a little disappointed at having to miss Aaron's next breastfeeding time. Then again, she would be able to let Tom bottle feed him and she was sure that that would cheer him up.  
"Okay, just come back whenever your ready becuase it'll only take a minute for me to give you them." Mr T stated.

* * *

Sam was sitting cross legged on the mattress in NICU, using a hand pump to express milk into the second bottle whilst Tom had been wandering around their children's incubators. After a while, Tom went and sat behind Sam, and began to give her a gentle massage for her shoulders to help her to relax which caused her to moan softly every now and then.  
"Thanks." Sam purred.  
"Don't mention it." Tom smiled. "And just out of curiosity, can I see your incision please?" Tom asked, and he felt Sam's shoulders suddenly go hard as she tensed up. He just wanted to see how quickly it was healing, and to check that she wasn't letting it get infected.  
"I'm a little busy." Sam said as she gestured the pump that was attached to her breast, but she knew it was a petty excuse.  
"So I can see it once you're finished?" Tom asked.  
"Tom, I'm not allowed to shave yet." Sam stated quietly.  
"So? It's not as if I haven't seen pubic hair before." Tom protested jokily. "Honestly, I'm not gonna judge you, I just want to have a quick look." Tom stated as he riskily slipped his hands around her waist from behind and he touched the bottom of her shirt.

"Fine." Sam huffed as she carefully took the pump off of her and placed it besides her in an upright position. She lifted her shirt up ever so slightly, and then pulled down her high waisted leggings and the top part of her underwear to reveal the six inch horizontal line of proof that she was the mother of those eight babies.  
"Ouch, doesn't that hurt?" He asked stupidly.  
"It did, now it's more numb than anything." Sam admitted as she redressed herself and then began pumping once more.

"Listen, I wanted your opinion on something." Tom began.  
"Yes you need a haircut." Sam stated bluntly and Tom squinted his eyes at her.  
"Very funny, now can I say what I want to say?" Tom asked and Sam just smiled to herself. "I don't know about you, but I've had quite a few offers for pictures of the octuplets because the only pictures of them, are the ones that we've got, there aren't any in the media." Tom stated. "And, seeing as they're gonna get pictures of them when they are discharged from hospital, I don't see why we shouldn't sell picture to the press because we really want to start saving money for when they're older. It says on the internet, the average cost of raising a child to 21 years old, is £225,000. And with this lot, that equates to £1.8 million." Tom stated and Sam's eyes flashed open in shock. "I mean, we've got the £500,000 from the picture court case settlement thing, £25,000 from the magazine for the interview, and that with our previous savings, our bank total is about £750,000.

"And we've got the vouchers for baby stuff too." Sam added. "But I know we're going to struggle with money later... And I've had offers as well for the pictures." She admitted. She knew that she wasn't helping by taking long maternity leave - she had already had 13 weeks off, and the NHS maternity leave pay package wasn't great, but she just didn't want to go back to work anytime soon.

"What was the most that you got offered for a picture?" Tom asked curiously.  
"£200,000 for a picture of all eight of them." Sam admitted. "You?"  
"The same." Tom stated.

"I didn't want to sell pictures of our children... But when you put it like that - that they're going to get pictures of them anyway when they are discharged for free - I don't see a problem in getting some extra cash when it will be for the benefit of our children." Sam stated as she continued to use the breast pump to fill the bottle whilst Tom gently rubbed her lower back with his thumbs whilst he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Mm, I agree. And I'm pretty sure that if we do a couple of pictures, and I use my expert haggling skills, we can get a lot of money." Tom said smugly and Sam smirked.  
"And if we get some extra money, we could save up for a possible Disney World holiday for when they're older." Sam added sheepishly.  
"Ah we could, but who would the holiday be for? You or the kids?" Tom asked slyly.  
"Oh c'mon, you'd enjoy it just as much as I would." Sam smiled.  
"Samantha Kent? Wants a Disney holiday? Wow, motherhood has changed you so much." Tom smirked. "But yeah, I'd like that. And I think they would too. But that's only if we have the money." Tom said sternly.

* * *

**6pm**  
Sam had already had her injection of iron into her upper arm and she was beginning to feel a bit sore but she didn't feel too bad.  
"Right, it's time for Aaron's feed." A nurse announced cheerily as she entered NICU with a bottle of warmed up breast milk because she had been made aware about Sam's injections and that she wasn't to feed for a few hours after it. The mother was sitting besides Ellie's incubator and the father was besides Megan's.  
"You feed him." Sam said softly to her husband.  
"You sure?"  
"Yeah go on, I know you're itching to." Sam gave a small smile as Tom eagerly jumped off of his seat and moved over to Aaron's incubator that now had an overhead heater only, so it didn't have a lid on. He used hand gel, and then carefully got Aaron's comfortable into his arms against his chest, before the nurse handed him the bottle and left them to it.

Sam watched as Tom tried with the bottle, but Aaron was giving out small cries as he moved his head away from the teat of the bottle and Tom was clearly upset that he couldn't do it so Sam got up to try and help.  
"Try tickling his bottom lip a little bit." Sam suggested as she leant over the pair of males from behind. Tom tried with the tip of the bottle but did not succeed as Aaron pulled away once more.  
"You do it, he obviously prefers you." Tom grumbled.  
"No, no. Tom it's not you, he's never been fed from a bottle before so that's probably why." Sam said reassuringly. "Look, I normally have to do this, with - don't laugh - my nipple, and then he opens up." Sam said sternly and Tom had to stifle a laugh, but nevertheless, Sam briefly brushed the tip of her little finger against Aaron's bottom lip and he pouted and puckered his lips. "There you go." She said softly as Tom placed the bottle near the open mouth and Aaron latched on.

"Thanks." Tom smiled.  
"You're a natural." Sam smiled too as she pecked Tom on the cheek.

**Thanks for reading, will Aaron be okay when he's taken off of oxygen for a few hours in the next chapter? And how much money will they get for pictures? Please review :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Saturday 2nd August**

**9am**  
For once, Tom was actually able to have a lie in becuase he knew that after Sam had had her iron supplement injection, she was going to be feeling much better and the worry of Charlie's operation was no longer lingering in his mind because his son was a fighter and had made incredible progress. Charlie was still sedated, so they wouldn't know until he was older whether he would be partially or fully paralysed from the waist down, and then there was the loss of skin sensations, bowel and bladder incontinence that they wouldn't know about, until they began potty training. But none of those were life threatening so his mind was at peace.

Tom had a good stretch before he got up out of bed and padded over to his wife who was breastfeeding their eldest child, Aaron.  
"Have a nice lie in?" Sam remarked.  
"Mm, I actually feel a lot better today." Tom admitted.  
"Me too. Must be the iron kicking in." Sam stated.  
"They're a week old today." Tom said proudly.  
"I know, but it feels a lot longer doesn't it?"  
"Yeah, about a month longer." Tom joked and Sam smiled.

"I'm just gonna wait until he's full and then I'm gonna go for a shower alright?" She said as she gestured Aaron who was gently suckling away with his eyes closed.  
"Mm. I'll join you." Tom stated as he sat next to his wife in the spare chair.  
"Will you now?"  
"Yep. And I'll wash your hair for you." Tom stated as he knew that it caused her pain to raise her arms across her head because of the c section. He had washed her hair several times for her since the operation, and each time they shared a shower, he had ignored the blood that trickled down her legs every now and then, and he avoided looking at her stomach too because he knew she was self conscious. Tom knew that carrying eight babies hadn't done any good to her usually flat stomach, however her hair was even thicker and a few inches longer than before, and her breasts were much larger. "By the way, I'd just like to point out that you're beginning to look a bit like Katy Price." He added cheekily as he nodded to her chest.

"Well as they say, my milk is coming in." Sam sighed.  
"Oi, trust me it's a positive thing." Tom smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  
"You try having weights strapped to your chest and tell me it doesn't make your back ache even more than it did when I was carrying these lot." Sam remarked as she, once again, gestured the baby in her arms.  
"Well then I'll give you another back massage in the shower as well." Tom stated.  
"Sounds perfect." Sam smiled. "And make sure you wash my hair properly becuase there's a £200,000 price tag on a picture of me breastfeeding." Sam stated.  
"And you actually want to release a picture of you doing that?" Tom queried.

"Yeah, you've seen me breast feed, the all the NICU staff have seen me breast feed, and you can barely see anything anyway so I don't see why not." Sam shrugged. "Right, you finished?" Sam asked as Aaron separated from her.  
"Shouldn't you offer him the other breast like Mr Solis said, in case he's still hungry but he wasn't getting anything?" Tom asked.  
"That _was_ the other breast." Sam stated. "He must have an appetite like his father." She added as she clipped her bra together. "Go on, you can wind him, I need to get my towel and stuff." Sam stated as she carefully handed Aaron over to Tom.  
"Oh right, in other words, you don't want to get puked on." Tom stated.

* * *

Tom was standing in the steamy washroom outside of the shower curtain whilst he gave his wife a few minutes to clean between her legs like usual, before he joined her under the hospital's stupid shower head that was little more than a trickle unlike their shower jet they had at home that had a big enough stream for both of them to stand under at the same time.  
"Your hair, is so bloody thick!" Tom laughed. "And it's all coming out." He added as he pulled several loose hairs off of Sam's back.  
"I know, it's caused by increased hormones during pregnancy and then when my hormones settle down, the excess hair starts to fall out again." Sam stated.  
"Alright miss obstetrician calm down." Tom said sarcastically as he began to palpate Sam's lower back to relieve her tensed muscles as promised.

"Mr Solis said that he's going to take Aaron off of the oxygen cannula at 12:30pm so that he would have just had his feed and he'll be alert." Sam stated.  
"Okay." Tom nodded. "So what pictures do you want to get then? Other than the breastfeeding one?" He asked.  
"We could get a picture of the row of Ellie, Bella, Megan and Summer's incubators." Sam suggested. "Oh, and one of you holding Aaron when you hold him inside your shirt." Sam stated as Tom picked up Sam's bottle of shampoo for her and put some in his hands before he began massaging it into her scalp and down to her ends of her thick hair. "I love you, y'know that don't you?"

"Of course I know that, though I do like to be reminded of it." Tom smiled. "And I love you too. In fact, I love you, as much as I love Nandos." Tom stated. "Speaking of which, I really want one now becuase I haven't been allowed to eat there for months." Tom moaned as anything that was even mildly hot during Sam's pregnancy made her heartburn almost unbearable and so they hadn't been there for ages.  
"We could go there tonight for dinner." Sam suggested. "I suppose it won't hurt to go out for an hour or two."  
"Yeah, I'd like that. And then when the press start complaining that we're leaving our children alone, you can post another rant on Facebook." Tom smirked as he gently manoeuvred Sam until she was under the shower properly and then he began rinsing her hair for her.

"Oi, that rant got about five million likes in the end." Sam stated smugly.  
"I know." Tom laughed. "Ooh, I'm gonna have a medium double chicken burger with chips and garlic bread and coleslaw with plenty of coke, followed by chocolate ice cream and their chocolate cake for pudding." Tom announced because their diet in the hospital had either been the meagre tasteless hospital food or a small meal cooked in the ED staffroom so he longed for a large meal.  
"Well let's hope all of our kids get your metabolism and not mine. You can eat that and you won't even put on half a pound." Sam moaned.  
"Yeah but it's not as if your fat is it? I mean, I know now - and I'm not saying this in a mean way - you can't wait to start running and going to the gym again to get your figure back, but before you were pregnant, you had an absolutely perfect body." Tom stated lovingly as he tucked her wet hair behind her ears to stop anything from getting in her eyes.

"Thanks but it was only becuase I was eating the right things and running a lot. I hardly think that eight kids are going to be joining me on my morning runs and eating a salad for lunch anytime soon are they?" Sam remarked.

* * *

**12:25pm**  
Sam had just finished breastfeeding Aaron and he had been laid back in his incubator. Tom had gotten plenty of photos whilst she fed so that Sam could choose one that she was happy to send to a magazine company, but now Mr Solis joined them as he was going to remove the clear tube that went under Aaron's nose to provide oxygen for an hour or two, to see how his stats varied without the additional support.  
"There we go..." Mr Solis said softly as he took the tube off of the young boy who sneezed in response.  
"Bless you." Tom smiled as he gave Sam's hand a small squeeze.  
"Right, we'll keep him under 10 minute obs, and we'll see how he manages. If there is no change, he won't need to go back on the oxygen but we'll just have to see how it goes." Mr Solis explained before he left and went into the side room.

"Can you smile properly now? Was that tube annoying?" Tom cooed as he leant over the open incubator and smiled. After a slightly pause, Aaron mimicked his father and smiled back. "Yes, you've got lovely gums." Tom smirked and Sam shook her head in disbelief at how childish Tom could be. "And your hair is going curly isn't it?" He smiled before he turned around to see Sam's reaction. "What?" He protested.

"You are just, so child-like that it's unreal." Sam laughed.  
"I am not a child." Tom protested.  
"Pft, not with that ugly face you're not." Sam joked and Tom playfully slapped her on the bum.  
"Nice nappy." He retorted and Sam immediately looked down at her backside.  
"What?" She mumbled worriedly as she looked behind her.  
"No, Sam I was joking." Tom said quickly as he saw her become uncharacteristically timid and shy. "Calm down, honestly I can't see anything." Tom said softly as he grabbed her hands to stop her from messing about with her shirt to make it cover her bum. "Calm down." He repeated as he held her hands tightly.

"Don't say things like that!" Sam protested as she pushed him gently in the chest and he had to take a few steps back to prevent himself falling over.  
"Sorry, I didn't think that you'd get so worried." Tom laughed and Sam couldn't help as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Ah see, even you find it funny so I'm off the hook." Tom concluded smugly.  
"Not necessarily." Sam said sheepishly.  
"Oh really?"  
"Yeah, you've got to do something nice for me now to redeem yourself." Sam stated.

"And what is that something nice?" Tom raised an eyebrow.  
"If I express enough milk, you have to feed Aaron at midnight, 3am, 6am and 9am so I can have a glass of wine in Nandos, and a nice lie in and a coffee in the morning." Sam stated.  
"Okay fine, but you don't have to ask, I'd do that anyway." Tom stated.  
"Really?" Sam raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, honestly. I would." Tom stated and Sam gave a small nod in acceptance.

Suddenly, there was an abnormal bleep coming from Aaron's monitor, but it was only brief. Within seconds Mr Solis entered the room to check what was going on.  
"Okay, his oxygen sats have gone down ever so slightly, but he's still within the normal range, and it's expected after he's been on 100% oxygen for the last few days."

"So, he's fine to stay off of the oxygen?" Sam asked.  
"For now yes, but if his stats drop any lower then we will put him back on the oxygen." Mr Solis stated before he left the room.

* * *

**1:30pm**  
Unfortunately, Aaron had been off of oxygen for little more than an hour, but Mr Solis was fitting the nasal cannula once again because his stats had dropped further.  
"Don't look so worried." Mr Solis said kindly to the worried parents. "He can last an hour without any assistance in breathing, he's making very good progress for a 32 weeker. And an octuplet at that." Mr Solis stated. "Listen now that they're all stable again there is something I would like to talk to you about. Mr Self, the CEO, isn't entirely happy about you two staying in NICU overnight because the press are beginning to make a fuss about it. There are other mothers with babies in NICU that are complaining becuase they can't stay overnight, and they think that it's just because you work here that you get special privileges." Mr Solis explained.

"What? So you're saying that we can't stay here anymore?" Tom asked worried as he snaked his arm around Sam's hip.  
"Well no, I'm not _telling_ you, but I do have to add that I think that maybe staying in your own home overnight might be better for you." Mr Solis stated. "I mean, it can't be comfortable sleeping on the floor, and your babies are all stable so there's not really a need for you because the nurses can feed Aaron in the night. And, I think the less time that you spend here, the more you'll appreciate it. And Tom, you're going back to work soon, I'm sure you're going to want to be staying in your own bed rather than in your place of work. I mean, you don't have to decide now, but just think about it." Mr Solis warned before he left the room.

"Wh- we can't just..." Sam trailed off as she didn't know what to do.  
"We'll talk over dinner. Don't worry about it." Tom said reassuringly.

* * *

Sam and Tom had already been seated at a small table in Nandos after they had left the hospital which still had a small crowd of journalists outside. They had just been served their meals, and Sam had a bottle of wine to herself whilst Tom had a glass of coke because he was driving.  
"Right, I know you're probably going to bite my head off, but I think that... we should start sleeping at home." Tom admitted and Sam stopped the piece of chicken that she was about to put in her mouth.  
"Why?" She asked curiously.  
"Well, what Mr Solis said is right, if we sleep at home, then you'll enjoy the time that you spend there more." Tom stated.  
"And what about when you go back to work? I can't drive for a few more weeks. How am I supposed to get to and from the hospital?"  
"Well I can drive you on my way to work, during my break, my lunch break and after work. I'm sure Fletch can give you a lift if he's free, you can get a taxi, you could get the bus." Tom stated and Sam huffed before she began eating.

"Look, I love our kids just as much as you do, but there really isn't anything we can do for them overnight, except feed Aaron, and the nurses can do it... You need sleep Sam, you're doing the best you possibly can for every single one of our babies, but just think do you really think that sleeping on the single mattress on the floor with me is doing any good for your recovery? Because you've had major surgery Sam." Tom stated. "That, and living at home now will make it so much easier for the transition when the first one is discharged." Tom stated and Sam remained silent as she continued to eat, so Tom let her think on it.

* * *

"Right, shall we make a move?" Tom suggested because both had eaten their meal, and desert and Sam had just finished the last drop of wine from the bottle that she had consumed by herself. Tom had thought that she would've gone a little tipsy because it was the first time that she had had a drop of alcohol since way before christmas of the previous year - over 8 months ago - and she had had a total of three large glasses. And he was right because she nodded and then stumbled a little as she stood up.

"Before you comment, I am perfectly coherent and alert." Sam stated as she pulled her coat on.  
"Of course you are." Tom merely agreed for the sake of it before he began to follow her. "But let me go down the stairs first." Tom said sternly as he sped up and began the decent sideways so that he was watching her as a precaution. They had already paid, so he held her warm hand as they made the short walk to the car.

"I've made my decision." Sam announced.  
"Right." Tom prompted her to continue.  
"I want to stay two more nights in NICU, and we'll go home on Monday morning so you'll have two nights before you go back to work." Sam concluded.  
"That sounds like a good plan." Tom smiled.  
"And just because I have consumed alcohol, does not mean that I've forgotten that you said you're gonna feed Aaron tonight, and get me a strong coffee in the morning." Sam stated.  
"Dammit." Tom muttered.

* * *

"Right little miss 'I'm not drunk', I think it's bed time for you." Tom stated as he guided her through the doors of a dimly lit NICU, and straight ahead to their mattress. "Do you feel sick?" He asked bluntly.  
"I had two glasses." Sam protested.  
"You had _three_, and large ones at that." Tom corrected. "And you haven't had alcohol for months so you're bound to be a lightweight." He added as he pulled her coat off. He then decided against bothering to change her into her pyjamas so he just laid her down on the mattress and then pulled her shoes off. "Just in case it's needed." Tom stated as he placed a cardboard kidney dish besides the mattress on the floor.

"I'm not gonna need it." Sam stated as she pulled a cover over her face.  
"Don't forget I'm sleeping in that bed too once I've fed Aaron." Tom stated.  
"Mm, you can sleep on the floor for being patronising." Sam mumbled from under the covers. Tom laughed at her a little bit before he went into the side room to warm some of Sam's milk up for Aaron.

* * *

Tom and just put Aaron to sleep, and changed into his shorts and t shirt when he decided to go to bed, only Sam was sprawled out across the mattress fast asleep. He knew she wasn't going to be woken easily, so he bent down, and literally rolled Sam onto her side so that he had most of the mattress and settled down for the night, knowing that it would be the second to last night that he would spend on that floor.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Sunday 3rd August**

Sam opened her heavy eyelids to a throbbing headache but she smiled when she saw the box of paracetamol and a bottle of water next to the mattress that had obviously been left by her husband was was besides one of the incubators. She opened up the box and opened it to find that there wasn't actually any tablets in the box.

"I hate you." Sam grumbled as she let her head hit the pillow again and then grimaced at the pain that moving had caused her. Tom looked over, saw that his wife was awake and smirked at his little trick on her.  
"Want some painkillers?" Tom asked smugly.  
"I am perfectly fine." Sam lied as she very slowly sat up.  
"So you'll be fine to give Aaron his midday feed then."  
"It's midday?" Sam moaned.  
"Nah, I'm just kidding. I've only just finished giving him his 9am feed." Tom stated as he approached his wife, squatted down in front of her and handed her the tray of paracetamol tablets. "There you go." He smiled.  
"Thanks." Sam mumbled before she took two tablets along with half a bottle of water in an attempt to ward of her headache sooner rather than later.

"Aaron's in a particularly irritable mood today so Mr Solis is keeping fifteen minute obs on him just in case there's something wrong, and he doesn't want him to be handled unless he's being fed." Tom stated.  
"Irritable?" Sam queried.  
"Yeah, he's cried quite a few times this morning and he's managed to kick the BP monitor on his foot off twice." Tom explained.  
"What does he think is wrong?" Sam asked as Tom helped her to stand up and then they went over to the little boy's open incubator.

"Nothings necessarily wrong, he said babies can just have periods of moodiness sometimes." Tom stated.

* * *

Tom had gone to the toilet, and Sam was wandering around NICU, when Aaron began crying again. Sam made sure that there were no other adults around, before she went over and gently picked him up to give him a cuddle because she didn't want to just let her boy go uncomforted.

Within seconds, Aaron settled and he snuggled his face into Sam's breast but Sam almost jumped out of her skin as she heard the door behind her open.  
"Sam, what are you doing?" Tom asked because he knew his son wasn't meant to be handled because he displayed signs of having a problem, however Mr Solis almost looked relieved.  
"Sam, when was the last time you held Aaron?" Mr Solis asked curiously as he looked at the satisfied baby in his mother's arms as he held onto her breast even though she had a shirt and hoodie on.  
"Um... Yesterday afternoon I think." Sam stated. "Why?"  
"Well, I don't think anything is wrong with him, I think he was just missing his mummy." Mr Solis stated.  
"Really?" Sam asked confusedly.

"Yes, babies have a very good sense of smell, and their mother will have a very distinctive smell to them and by now he can recognise your face and your voice. He was probably just after a cuddle." Mr Solis stated happily and Sam and Tom both felt a weight being lifted off of their shoulders.

"Do you know, how much easier it would be to look after you if you could speak?" Tom cooed as he brushed his thumb along Aaron's cheek.  
"Right, I'll leave you to it then. And um, I'm guessing you'd like to make Aaron's feed a breast feed rather than out of a bottle. Then he'll be a very happy boy." Mr Solis hinted before he left the room.

* * *

After ensuring that all of their children were settled and happy, Sam and Tom sat on their mattress with their laptop and camera, ready to sort out which pictures they were going to sell, and to who because they wanted to get the most possible money for their children's future.  
"Right, before we start this, are you 100% sure that you want to sell a breastfeeding picture? Because I know it'll get lots of money, I just to make sure that you're happy about this." Tom asked sternly.  
"For the millionth time, yes." Sam huffed.  
"Oi, I've told you a billion times, don't exaggerate." Tom joked and Sam elbowed him.  
"Right, let's get down to business..." Sam smiled.

* * *

"I cannot believe this." Sam admitted as she and Tom sat, finished after selling a mere eight different photos to various magazines, newspapers and news channels, with their jaws hitting the floor from shock at what they had done. "We've just earned, £1.2 million without even trying... I... Oh my god!" Sam laughed as she really didn't know what to so with herself. "We're millionaires. We're actually... With the money we've already got, we've got about £1.95 million pounds and we..."  
"I think we'll be able to manage that trip to Disneyland when the kids are older." Tom stated as both of them could do nothing but grin.

"Tom breath." Sam said worriedly as she leant forward but he looked confusedly at her.  
"Don't worry, I'm not having a panic attack." He stated and Sam let out a sigh of relief.  
"You looked like you were gonna pass out." Sam protested.  
"Yeah from the shock! My heart is beating like there's no tomorrow but I'm fine, honestly. Right, seeing as you still haven't had that coffee that I promised you this morning, shall we go downstairs to the cafe and then get some air in the peace garden?" Tom suggested.

"Okay. But we'll have to go out the side entrance to avoid the cameras." Sam stated.

* * *

Sam and Tom were sitting snuggled together on a bench in the peace garden in the wonderful sunny weather, though the odd breeze did give Sam goosebumps. She had gotten a decaf coffee because she was due to feed Aaron in an our for his midday feed, and she didn't want to pass a lot of caffeine on to him, or he wouldn't sleep very well. Whilst Tom was being his usually child-like self with a hot chocolate with whipped cream.  
"Remind me to never drink again." Sam joked halfheartedly.  
"Have you still got a headache?" Tom asked softly.  
"A bit." Sam admitted.  
"Well I did-"  
"Don't say 'I told you so'." Sam whined.  
"Fine." Tom huffed. "But I would just like to point out that I did advise to you to not drink the entire bottle."  
"That's just like saying I told you so!" Sam protested as she elbowed him before they settled down again and listened to the chirping of the birds for a few minutes.

"Wow... We've got nearly two million pounds." Tom said quietly.  
"And we've got a £4.75 million mansion too." Sam stated smugly.  
"And just a few months ago, it was me and you in a one bedroom flat." Tom laughed.  
"Mm, and I was the size of a whale. Well, I still am actually." Sam stated as she pulled her hoodie over her stomach.  
"Of course your not. Sam with the way you're dressed at the moment, you wouldn't have thought that you've had a baby, let alone eight." Tom stated.  
"Tom, I gained 145lbs from the pregnancy, and I've only lost about half of that." Sam complained.

"Yeah, and you're still bleeding and you're still weeing a lot so you're continuously losing extra fluids. Your milk has come in so that's probably several pounds of milk." Tom explained. "Sam, as soon as you start exercising again, the weight will just fall off. And I'm sure when we move back home tomorrow then we'll start eating healthier so you'll lose more then. Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about." He said kindly and Sam snuggled her face against his arm to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Hang on, I do not wee a lot." Sam protested as she suddenly sat up properly.  
"Yes you do!" Tom laughed.  
"No I don't!"  
"You do, you still get up in the night to go." Tom stated.  
"So? Some people have a small bladder." Sam argued weakly.  
"Yes but you don't, you never used to go in the night. Don't deny it, it's just the aftermath of having a baby - not something to be embarrassed about." Tom stated.  
"Everything is embarrassing after having a baby!" Sam protested.  
"Like what?" Tom laughed.  
"Oh I don't know, maybe bleeding, saggy boobs, saggy stomach, no shaving and stretch marks. Not to mention the leaky bladder situation." Sam stated.

"What leaky bladder situation?"  
"The one where I leak if I sneeze, cough or even so much as move." Sam retorted.  
"Well if you had started doing your pelvic floor exercises ages ago like I told you, you wouldn't be having this problem." Tom stated smugly.  
"Don't say that this is my fault or I swear I will turn on the water works." Sam threatened as she pointed her finger at him.

"Wow, will you calm down. You are really, really hormonal today." Tom stated.  
"I blame the coffee, it's making me hyper." Sam joked halfheartedly.  
"It's a decaf." Tom stated. "And that comment has just made me realise that you're in one of those funny, niggly, odd moods." Tom concluded to himself because he knew if he said anything to her, it would provoke a reaction.  
"Are you ignoring me?" Sam demanded as he didn't even look at her. "Tom?... Fine y'know what, I'm gonna go back to NICU." Sam snapped before she slowly stood up and then stormed off with her empty cup of coffee.

* * *

Tom had left it a little while for her to calm down before he returned to NICU, and when he did, he found Sam breastfeeding Aaron, and talking to him. Tom quietly closed the door behind him so that she didn't know he was there, so he could listen to what she was saying to their son.  
"... and we can't wait for you to come home soon... Y'know, daddy's got to go back to work in a few days, to earn money for us, so it's just going to be you, me and your brothers and sisters during the day. Though it'll probably be much easier for you to sleep when he's not here because he is quiet loud isn't he? Mind you, I can already see his cheekiness coming out in you. For example, having a wee when I changed your nappy yesterday, that wasn't very nice was it?" Sam smiled as she tickled his chest.

Tom didn't want to scare Sam so he went back over to the door, and opened it to create a sound. She turned around and saw her husband, so she gave a small smile.  
"Sorry for being a bit insensitive." Tom apologised.  
"No, I'm sorry. You were right, I was in a mood." Sam admitted.  
"So you're not now?" Tom asked cautiously as he placed his hands on her shoulders.  
"No... Anyway, we're millionaires, we're supposed to be celebrating." Sam smiled. "But not with alcohol, not after last night." She added and Tom chuckled.  
"Well what how you want to celebrate then?" He asked curiously because he knew intercourse was way out of the question for her.  
"Um... A nice shower together tonight?" Sam queried.  
"Yep, I'm up for that." Tom nodded. "After all, it will be our last night of sleeping on the floor of NICU." He stated.

* * *

After Tom had waited the usual few minutes for Sam to give herself a quick wash, Tom entered the dimly lit, steamy shower and snaked his arms around his wife's body.  
"Can you wash my hair for me in a little while?" Sam asked.  
"Of course." Tom nodded. "Can you... Sit on my lap for a little while?" Tom asked suggestively as he folded down the small disabled chair under the shower head, and then sat down on it.  
"I can if you want to be covered in blood." Sam remarked as she folded her arms across her chest.  
"C'mon... I miss your body." Tom admitted as he gently pulled her onto his lap with her legs straddled around his waist. It was the first time that they had had sexual contact like that in ages because sex had not been allowed since Sam's bed rest began at 24 weeks.

"This feels weird." Sam admitted quietly as she buried her head in his chest and under his chin and then wrapped her arms around his torso to keep her stable in case she slipped on his wet body.  
"Weird, but nice?" Tom queried.  
"Weird but really nice." Sam stated and Tom smiled to himself as he gently gave her back a rub. "I bet you can't wait to go back to work." Sam said sarcastically.

"Mm, totally." Tom grumbled.  
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Sam smirked.  
"I still don't think it's fair that you get so much longer than me. I mean, I'm not saying that you should have shorter time because your body has been through a lot, but I think that new dads should have more than two weeks off for paternity leave." Tom stated. Admittedly, he did have several weeks of holiday left that hadn't been booked off yet, but he wanted to save those for when his children would need looked after, whereas now that they were in NICU, he couldn't actually do anything and they could manage without him.

"Mm. I think you should have longer too but, it's law, you can't do anything about it." Sam mumbled into his chest.  
"You're not falling asleep on me are you?" Tom asked as he pulled his chest apart from hers to see that she was looking exhausted.  
"No." Sam shook her head innocently but he could see right through her.

"Right, let's start washing your hair." Tom said as he stood up with his wife, and found a pool of diluted blood on the white chair, along with blood trickled on his groin too and Sam's cheeks flushed as red as the blood was. "It doesn't matter." Tom said reassuringly as he detached the shower head and rinsed all of the blood away before he folded the chair back up, and picked up Sam's shampoo bottle. "You're so short." Tom smirked as he stood above her and began to massage the shampoo into her roots with ease because of his height advantage.

"I am not short." Sam argued.  
"Yes you are!" Tom laughed.  
"No I'm not, you're just tall, I'm normal height." Sam stated.  
"Well, you're still my little shortie." Tom said smugly.  
"Don't call me your 'little shortie'." Sam ordered.  
"Why not shortie?" Tom smirked and Sam turned around and hit him where no man should be hit. He quickly bent over and clutched his groin tightly as he tried to fight the pain. "You cow, it was only a joke." He groaned.  
"Sorry, I thought you'd move out of the way." Sam admitted, but she felt really guilty now that she had actually hurt him. "Tom, I'm sorry." Sam said worriedly as she placed a comforting hand on his back. "I didn't mean to hurt you this much."  
"Don't worry shortie." He joked halfheartedly whilst he remained in the double over position.

"Right just for that, you still have to rinse my shampoo out, and condition it." Sam stated.  
"Brilliant." Tom groaned sarcastically. "Jesus Christ Sam, I feel sick."  
"That's probably caused by the sight of your disgusting feet." Sam retorted.  
"You're one to talk, your toenails are like claws, they're that long." Tom stated.  
"Well sorry, but I'm not in the position to be able to cut them at the moment." Sam stated. "In fact that's another job for you. When we get out of the shower, you can cut my toenails for me." Sam smiled.

Tom took a few more deep breaths before he stood up properly but kept this hands over his groin.  
"I might not be able to father any more kids now." Tom moaned.  
"What? You actually want nine kids?" Sam queried.  
"I was joking." Tom stated. "Right, c'mon I'd better rinse your hair."

* * *

Sam and Tom were slowly packing their bags whilst they sat on the mattress because they only had one night left to spend in NICU.  
"My balls are still throbbing." Tom grumbled.  
"Yes I'm sure our 8 day old kids wanted to know that." Sam remarked. "Besides, my uterus is still contracting so we're even." She added.  
"Yes but you having a c section was planned, we _planned_ to have a baby. You just randomly decided to hit me in the Crown Jewels." He exclaimed.  
"How do you know that I haven't been planning it?" Sam asked innocently.  
"Right that's it." Tom smirked as he leant forwards, pushed her back on the bed and then got on top of her.

"Tom!" Sam squealed and he chuckled as he smoothed his hands over her chest before he lunged in for a passionate kiss. Whilst he kept her mouth occupied, he slowly but firmly rubbed his crotch against hers. "Wait what if Mr Solis comes in?" Sam asked as she tried to catch her breath back.  
"Well then, he can either watch, or leave us alone." Tom replied bluntly as he resumed his kiss and dry humping.  
"Uhh... Tom..." Sam purred. "Tom wait stop." Sam said quickly and Tom immediately came to a halt.  
"What's wrong?" He asked concernedly.  
"I... May or may not need a wee." Sam admitted timidly and Tom smirked.  
"Tough luck, it'll just make it better." Tom joked as he leant in again but Sam pulled away with an outraged look on her face. "Sorry, no of course you can go." Tom suddenly realised that he wasn't being very nice so he climbed off of her and she silently slipped out of NICU.

Both Tom and Sam knew that they hadn't had sex in months, and that he was ready but Sam wasn't - neither mentally nor physically. And he was trying to be understanding. But as a male, it was harder for him to understand Sam's situation.  
"I'm sorry." He heard his wife say as she came back in after a few minutes.  
"What? No, don't you be sorry. I'm sorry, I should have let you go as soon as you said you needed to go." Tom said as they both approached each other and embraced in a hug.  
"Look, I know we haven't done anything in ages... So if you do want to go out, and find someone who-"  
"No no no no no don't even think that I would do that Sam." Tom said as he looked into her eyes. "It's called making love for a reason, and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else but you. So I can wait, as long as it takes for you to be ready."  
"Even if it's months?" Sam sighed.  
"Even if it's years." Tom stated reassuringly as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her. "Although I do sometimes wonder if you're just with me for the money." Tom joked and Sam pulled away as she laughed.

"I put more money into our bank account than you did when we merged them." Sam argued.  
"Yeah, I know. I'm just messing with you... Shortie." He smirked.  
"Do you want me to hit pinky and perky again?" Sam threatened.  
"No, please don't." Tom begged as he covered his crotch with both hands.

**Thanks for reading, coming up what happens when Tom has to go back to work and will Leah manage when she is taken off of the ventilator? Please review :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Wednesday 6th August**

**7am**  
Sam and Tom had just arrived in NICU bright and early so that they could be there when Mr Solis took Leah off of her ventilator so she could take her first independent breath. Though Tom did have to leave for work by 8am, so he wouldn't be there when the sedation began to wear off. They didn't mind sleeping at home now, because all of their children were stable, and a nurse always fed Charlie at night.  
"Right, you're both doctors so you know how it works. And you know that little Leah might have a sore throat for a little while because she's been intubated for so long." Mr Solis stated as he pulled on a pair of gloves.

Sam and Tom remained silent as the consultant performed the procedure, to leave their daughter without a tube down her throat any longer, and she was breathing on her own as her chest rose and fell.  
"That's my girl." Tom said proudly .  
"Well, she's looking good." Mr Solis announced. "She's no longer being given a sedative, so she should wake up in the next few hours, and hopefully by tonight, you should be able to hold her and feed her for a little while." He explained.  
"So it's the usual 'just wait and see' then." Sam concluded with a tone of annoyance present in her voice.  
"Unfortunately, yes." Mr Solis nodded. "I'd best be getting on." He concluded before he left the room.

Sam sighed as she sat down next to the open incubator with an overhead heater.  
"Why can't we just skip ahead a few months until they're all at home, and healthy?" She moaned. "It's just so boring not being able to do anything but wait and I know this sounds mean but I'm getting bored of feeding Aaron. Jonny's almost ready to feed, and that'll be something knew, but it's annoying." She ranted as she hung her head in her hands.  
"Well we've just got to keep living our lives until then. And that means that you don't have to spend every day 7am-8pm in NICU." Tom stated. "Why don't you start doing something at home? You could get the pictures we've got of them printed, and then make a photo album or you could... Start looking up preschools and nurseries and nannies."

"Because I'm not a housewife kind of mummy." Sam replied, and Tom nodded in acceptance. "I might come down to work with you today, see if Zoe will let me take on a case or two." Sam smiled.  
"No, no working." Tom ordered. "You can't anyway, it hasn't been 14 days since the birth yet so by law, you can't work."  
"Well, I'm still going down to the ED. I haven't seen them in ages. In fact, I might ask Mr Solis if I can take Aaron down to the staffroom to show him off."  
"You'll have to be careful about germs, make sure there isn't everyone holding him because the last thing we need is for him to get ill." Tom stated.  
"The only other person that can hold him is Fletch." Sam stated.  
"And me of course." Tom added.  
"Duh." Sam said sarcastically.

* * *

Tom opened the staff room door, put his finger to his lips and everyone went silent to see Sam holding a little bundle of blankets. All the staff were just getting ready for their shift so they were all there to see.  
"Sam, Tom, it's so good to see you!" Robyn squealed.  
"Sshh." Tom warned because the last thing he wanted was for his child to show him off by screaming and crying on his first outing from NICU.  
"Right, sorry." Robyn whispered. "Who's this?" She asked.  
"Aaron, he's the oldest." Sam said softly as Tom guided her through the room and sat her down on the sofa to her annoyance.  
"Right, no one can touch him because he's at risk of infection, and he's only allowed out of NICU for 30 minutes." Tom said sternly.  
"Oi, go on you lot, off to work." Zoe ordered. "Except you two." Zoe rolled her eyes as a disappointed Tom and Fletch began to leave, but they eagerly shuffled everyone else out of the room and then crowded around the new mum. "He's definitely got your eyes Sam." Zoe said softly.

"Mm, but he's got his dad's lungs." Sam remarked. "It's lucky the other six are sedated otherwise they'd be up half the night." She added.  
"So how're the others?" Fletch asked curiously.  
"Oh here, I've got loads of pictures." Tom stated as he got his phone out, and then passed it to Fletch.

"And how are you Sam?" Zoe asked kindly.  
"Um... Definitely less tired than I was last week now that I'm not feeding Aaron during the night when we go home, but it's still exhausting." Sam admitted. "And the worst part is, all we hear every day is 'you'll just have to wait and see'. It's really getting on my nerves."  
"Mm, but we're getting their slowly. They reckon Megan can come off of the ventilator in a couple of days, and Leah was taken off this morning, she'll be waking up in a few hours." Tom stated as Fletch flicked through the photos of all of the children.  
"Tom, how many pictures have you got of Sam breastfeeding?" Fletch smirked.  
"Oi!" Sam reached up and snatched the phone off of him before she got comfortable on the sofa once more and settled Aaron. She grimaced in pain as she had stretched her abdomen slightly, but the pain soon faded.

"And the c-section? How's your recovery going?" Zoe asked curiously.  
"She had postpartum ha- wait, just so we're clear, nothing said in this room is to be repeated because the press are getting hold of anything they can get." Tom said sternly.  
"Yes, of course." Zoe nodded.  
"Definitely." Fletch nodded too.  
"Well, she had postpartum haemorrhage and had to be taken back into theatre. That nearly gave me a heart attack. But, she's just a bit anaemic now, and she's on iron supplement injections. Aren't you darling?" Tom said patronisingly.  
"Stop it." Sam warned.  
"Yes darling." Tom said quickly.

"You wanna hold your oldest nephew?" Sam asked Fletch.  
"Nephew?" Zoe questioned.  
"Yeah, he's their uncle. We don't really have any family so, he's uncle Fletch." Sam stated and Zoe smiled. "C'mon, he doesn't bite, he can only gum. And he's already had a wet nappy today so don't worry about that." Sam said as Fletch sat besides her on the sofa.  
"Er, newborns have more than one wet nappy a day." Fletch stated confusedly.  
"Not premies, he only goes a couple of times a day maximum, and it's usually more in the evening." Sam stated and Fletch nodded. Slowly, Sam handed the bundle of blankets over into his arms. As expected, Fletch was holding Aaron like a natural and he was silent as the baby slept.

"I think we've found the perfect baby sitter." Tom joked.  
"What, for all eight? You're having a laugh aren't you!" Fletch laughed softly. "Nah, but seriously, if you ever need a hand, as long as I'm not working, I'll come and give you a hand, day or night. Just gimme a call."  
"Thanks." Sam smiled before Sam's stomach let out a loud grumble..  
"Have you two had any breakfast?" Zoe asked. "There's plenty of fruit, and cereals etc in the cupboards."  
"Well, judging by the coy look on your face, I don't think you've eaten have you?" Tom stated rather than asked as he looked at his wife.  
"We were in a rush this morning!" Sam protested quietly.  
"Well then you won't have any problem eating some toast will you." Tom concluded.  
"No, really Tom. Just something light, those iron injections really don't sit right with me." Sam admitted.  
"An apple?" Tom queried.  
"Fine." Sam huffed and Tom chucked an apple at her which she took a small bite out of.

"God, he's really light. How much does he weigh?" Fletch asked curiously as he loved the feel of a baby in his arms.  
"Um, he was 2lbs 11ozs at birth, and now I think he was 3lbs exactly at his last weigh in." Sam replied.  
"Well, I'd better get on, but I'm really happy for you. I'm sure you'll be great parents." Zoe smiled before she left the room.  
"Yeah, I suppose I'd better get on too." Tom admitted. "Are you gonna be alright taking him back up to NICU?"  
"Trust me Tom, I think I know the way." Sam said sarcastically.  
"Alright, see you later. Ooh, and make sure you let me know when Leah wakes up." Tom said before he left the room too.

"I don't suppose you know how to speed up time do you?" Sam huffed.  
"I know- well, I don't actually know how you feel, but I can imagine... Well actually I can't imagine having eight babies in NICU. I can only imagine one, just about." Fletch stated.  
"Well, I'm one of a kind alright. As I've been told many times." Sam smirked.  
"I saw the pictures in the newspapers by they way. And I have to admit, I didn't think you'd give them to them."  
"Well, we only did it for the money really. We're gonna be raising eight kids, we're gonna need every penny. Besides, like Tom said when they get discharged, the press will get free pictures so why not make some money now?" Sam explained.

"Fair enough." Fletch nodded. "Right, do you want to take this little one back because I'd better be getting on."  
"Okay." Sam forced a smile as Fletch gently handed Aaron back over.  
"Alright, c'mon I'll walk you back up to NICU." Fletch gave in to Sam's disappointed face as he stood up, and then helped Sam to her feet because her hands were full.

* * *

**5:10pm**  
Tom knew that Leah had woken up, Sam had sent him a video of her first few minutes awake, and he had watched it over and over again whenever he had the time on his shift. He had just finished his shift and headed up to NICU, where he found Mr Solis kneeling in front of Sam's chair.  
"Sam? You okay?" He asked worriedly, but once he'd seen what she was doing, he understood. She had her shirt unbuttoned, and Aaron was tucked inside the left side of her shirt, whilst Leah had the right side, and they were both sitting on her lap, suckling away at their mother's breasts whilst Mr Solis supported their heads.  
"Sorry, we did try to wait for you but they were both getting hungry." Mr Solis stated. "Here, would you like to support their heads for them?" He suggested.

"Um, yeah sure." Tom nodded as he knelt down, and carefully took over from Mr Solis so that the consultant could stand up.  
"Sam, are you okay if I leave you to it?" Mr Solis said softly to the proud, smiling mother.  
"Yes, thank you." She beamed and he nodded before he left.  
"Hello Leah." Tom smiled as he gently brushed his thumb up and down the side of her head as he supported both of his children's heads. "I'm guessing she likes milk." Tom smirked because as far as he could see, they were both suckling and swallowing quickly.  
"I told you, they've all got the appetite of their father." Sam remarked before she yawned.  
"Why don't we go home once they've been fed rather than stay here until late like we normally do?" Tom suggested. "C'mon, you need an early night Sam. NICU have got plenty of your milk for night feeds. And you can express some more in the morning." Tom was being soft, but he was demanding rather than suggesting.  
"Can we order a takeaway?" Sam asked apprehensively.  
"Yeah, of course we can. And I'll even deliver it to your bed." Tom stated.  
"_Our_ bed." Sam corrected. "But yeah okay, oh but I need to make sure that they get off to sleep once they've fed, I'm not leaving until they're settled." Sam stated sternly.  
"Okay, you put Leah to sleep and I'll put Aaron to sleep, whoever gets them settled first wins." Tom smirked.  
"No, that's not fair, Aaron goes out like a light once he's been fed." Sam stated.  
"So? Leah might do as well." Tom stated unconvincingly.  
"Well what's the prize?" Sam asked curiously.

"Whoever gets their one to sleep first, has to give the other one a back massage until she falls asleep." Tom stated and Sam couldn't help but grin because she knew that he was just offering one even though he knew that he was going to win.  
"You're on." She smiled.  
"Oh, how did I know that that would work?" Tom joked.

* * *

After filling themselves up with plenty of Chinese takeaway food, Sam was laying on her side under the duvet, and Tom was gently massaging her lower back for her with his warm, surprisingly soft hands.  
"How're you feeling? And be honest." Tom asked.  
"What do you mean?" Sam mumbled. She had her eyes closed as she enjoyed her husband's gentle palpation on her back, whilst she rested her head on her pillow because she was feeling sleepy - she always did on a full stomach.  
"Well it's only been a fortnight since you had major abdominal surgery. Not to mention the fact that you're successfully expressing breast milk for three babies full time, and you spend most of your day in NICU with our eight babies." Tom stated.  
"I just want them all to come home." Sam admitted.

"Yes, that's what I want too. But I mean physically, how's the pain?"  
"About 1/10, it's healing well." Sam stated, though she knew it was due to her painkillers that she was feeling so well.  
"And the anaemia?"  
"Mmm... I know I'm a bit paler than usual, but other than that no dizziness or anything."  
"And the iron injections? And the side effects?" He questioned as he shuffled up behind her, wrapped his arms around her abdomen and tucked his chin on her shoulder.  
"Fine." Sam muttered.  
"No, that's not an honest answer." Tom said sternly. "When was your last bowel movement?" He asked quietly.

"That's a bit personal." Sam stated.  
"Oh c'mon, you know as well as I do it's a perfectly natural bodily process to excrete so, just tell me, when?" Tom repeated.  
"This morning, before we left for the hospital." Sam stated, and Tom remembered that she had been in the bathroom a while before he heard the shower running so he believed her.  
"Right. And when was your last one before that?" Tom asked.  
"I don't know!" Sam protested sleepily.  
"Well one day? Two? More?" He asked.  
"Tom, how would you like it if I was asking you this?" Sam moaned.  
"If it was about my health Sam, you'd be doing exactly the same. Look, I'm a doctor it doesn't matter. Please, just tell me."  
"Look I'm not constipated so stop asking me equations, please." Sam pleaded.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Tom said softly as he felt her tense up in his arms. "I'm sorry, I only asked because I care. You know that." Tom stated.  
"Yes but you know that the last thing I want to discuss with you is my toilet habits." Sam stated.  
"What? So you'd rather discuss the next one direction album instead?" Tom smirked and he was sure Sam growled a little. "No, thought not."  
"You think you're so funny don't you?" Sam laughed.  
"Well, it's one of the many reasons why you married me so I must be." Tom said smugly and Sam propped herself up on here elbow to face her husband.  
"Who said that's why I married you?"  
"You did, when you told me how hot I am, how funny, kind and caring I am, how great in bed I am-"  
"Pft, yeah great at taking up the entire bed." Sam laughed.

"Um excuse me? You're talking about taking up the entire bed! When you were pregnant, you pretty much pushed me onto the floor some nights and I ended up sleeping on the sofa." Tom stated.  
"Yes but it wasn't the usually pregnancy, I had eight babies inside of me so I was a fair bit fatter than most women." Sam stated. "I gained 145lbs in the end, I think I needed the extra room."  
"You gained that much?!" Tom protested.  
"Gee, thanks Tom." Sam mumbled.  
"No, no I just mean, you didn't look it, and you look like you've already lost most of it, if not all." Tom said kindly.  
"Can you just shut up and go to sleep? I'm tired." Sam huffed.

"Yeah, sure. You want me to turn the light off?" He asked.  
"No, I want to sleep with the light on." Sam said sarcastically.  
"Oi, you did have to sleep with the light on for a few weeks after you thought someone had gotten in the house." Tom stated.  
"Someone _was_ in the house." Sam protested.  
"No, I told you no one got in, you were just being paranoid because your hormones were on fire." Tom stated. "You were just being protective of our babies, it was your natural instinct."

"Can you just turn the light off." Sam ordered weakly.  
"Yeah sure." Tom reached behind him and flicked the switch, before he snaked his arms around Sam and rested his hands hands above her belly button. "I love you." Tom stated as he pecked Sam on the cheek and then nuzzled his nose behind her ear to make her feel safe within his hold, rather than alone on the bed.  
"Mm." Sam mumbled and Tom smiled becuase she really was tired, and almost asleep as she let her long, thick hair fall in front of her face and cover her eyes, before they both slipped into a deep slumber.

**Thanks for reading! I will be skipping ahead to when they are discharged in the next chapter becuase I'm getting bored of writing about NICU, and I have plenty of ideas for when they are growing up :) Please review :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Friday 17th October **

**5pm**  
After twelve unbelievably long weeks in NICU, Ellie, the youngest of the octuplets, was the last of the octuplets to be discharged. Sam was at home with the other seven, waiting for Tom to come home with Ellie becuase it took so much effort to take all seven out that it just wasn't worth it when Tom could easily manage at the end of his shift to bring the little girl home by himself in the car, rather than the minivan.

Sam was almost finished breastfeeding Megan and Summer, and sometimes it felt that all she did was express milk, or breastfeed, and because she did that, Tom changed the majority of the nappies. Unfortunately, Sam hadn't been able to produce enough milk for all of them, though she did produce a lot, so all of the babies took around 6 small amounts of breast milk a day, and three small bottles of formula per day.

Sam looked down, and noticed that neither of the girls were suckling, but they were still latched on becuase they often nurses for comfort, but Sam was getting annoyed with it, because it took up so much of her time.  
"You two aren't even hungry are you?" Sam sighed as she used her little finger to tease their mouths off of her breasts and then clipped her bra back together. "Let's put you two to bed, and then you can see your sister soon." Sam had the technique of carrying two babies and putting them down in their cot perfected as she laid them in the same cot as Leah and then held their hand as they slowly fell asleep.

There was just three cots in Sam and Tom's bedroom, all along a wall. And they shared the cots with the same siblings that they shared an amniotic sac and placenta with - Aaron, Jonny and Charlie shared one, then Leah, Megan and Summer, and then Bella and soon, Ellie in the third one.

Sam was absolutely exhausted because whilst Tom went to work during the day, she was left to look after the babies that had been discharged, before Tom came home so that she could go to NICU for a few hours. However, she hoped that now Ellie had been discharged, she wouldn't have to leave the house at all until she returned to work.

She heard the front door open downstairs, despite the fact that in their nine bedroom home, she was quite far away from it. Sam smiled because she knew that Tom would have Ellie, however he emerged with her in her carrier, and then Fletch and Zoe came in too.

"Oh... Hi." Sam said confusedly as she took the carrier off of Tom and took Ellie out for a cuddle.  
"Zoe wants to discuss your maternity leave and Fletch has a proposition for you." Tom stated. "And NICU gave me the rest of your milk that they had so I'd better go and put it in the fridge." Tom stated before he left the room.  
"Right." Sam said still with a hint of confusion before she got comfortable on the bed and leant against the headboard with Ellie in her arms.

"Right, so in total, you are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, and so far, you've had 24 weeks leave." Zoe stated whilst Fletch went over to the cots and kept them all settled. "And, I just wanted to know if you have a rough idea of when you'll be returning. As in, are you going to take maximum leave or?..." She trailed off.  
"I don't know." Sam admitted. "I... I want to get back to work but... I mean, they're 12 weeks old, but they're only just beginning to develop like a newborn would because they were so premature- Fletch what are you doing?" Sam demanded as she watched him pick up one of the infants that she recognised to be Bella. Sam was very protective of her children, even with people she trusted - she had actually questioned Tom on occasions when he picked them up because she just wanted them to rest.  
"It's alright, I think she's got a wet nappy, I'll change her for you." Fletch said as he carried her over to the changing table.  
"Oh... Sorry I didn't mean to snap." Sam apologised.  
"Don't mention it." Fletch turned around and gave Sam a smile, before he returned to change the nappy.

"Well isn't this cozy?" Tom smirked as he entered the room, and then picked Jonny up for a cuddle because he hadn't seen his children since he had left for work that morning. He sat on the bed besides his wife.  
"I think I... I will take nearly maximum maternity leave, but I will want to come in sometimes and work a few shifts just to start getting the hang of it." Sam said to Zoe.  
"Yeah? Well maybe in a couple of months, you could start coming in on Friday and Saturday evenings, we could always do with an extra pair of hands." Zoe stated.  
"Right, that's that sorted, now Fletch has got something to say." Tom said eagerly, and Sam gave him an analysing look before she looked at the nurse who had finished changing Bella and was laying her back down in her cot.

"Fletch?" Sam queried.  
"Well, because of protocol - and I just want to make this very clear that I am innocent - I have been suspended for two weeks because a patient has accused me of assaulting him. So I was thinking whilst I've got two weeks free, and you're going to be home without any support during the day, that maybe I could come round and help out. Providing that teas and coffees were free of course, but I'd be happy to come around here to take some weight off of your shoulders." Fletch explained. Sam glanced confusedly at Zoe as to why he had been suspended.

"Trust me, I know Fletch is innocent, but the patient has made a formal complaint and I have to follow it up, so Fletch can't return to work for a while." Zoe explained.  
"Okay well, if you're offering then that'd be great thanks." Sam nodded and Tom looked at her in shock. "What?" She protested innocently.  
"Samantha Kent, accepting help? Are you feeling alright?" He joked.  
"If I didn't have Ellie in my arms-" Sam threatened.  
"Ah, but you do, so you can't do anything." Tom said smugly. Then Ellie began to make noises of distress, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "And the milk machine is leaking again." Tom announced jokily as a couple of wet drops appeared on Sam's pale blue shirt on both sides.

"You are so annoying sometimes." Sam moaned at her husband as she carefully slipped off of the bed with Ellie against her chest, and then left the room.  
"Is she alright?" Zoe asked concernedly.  
"Yeah, she's just shy when it comes to feeding." Tom said quietly whilst he laid Jonny down in his cot next to his brothers.  
"Right, I suppose we'd better get going then." Fletch stated.  
"Yep okay, I'll give you a ring sometime to sort out times for Monday." Tom stated.  
"Okay, enjoy your weekend." Fletch smiled.  
"Yep, see you on Monday Tom." Zoe said before Tom showed the pair out of his home.

* * *

It took Tom a while of searching the house, until he finally found his wife curled up in an armchair in the smallest of the four living rooms that they had, and she was feeding Ellie whilst she gently stroked her light brown, soft hair that had grown to a two inches long already. She was using kangaroo care so she a had her shirt unbuttoned and Ellie was tucked inside of her shirt against Sam's abdomen to keep her warm.  
"She's got your curls." Sam said softly.  
"Yeah. And next time would you mind telling me where you're going because it took me ten minutes to find you in our mansion." Tom said smugly.  
"Would you mind not calling me a milk machine in front of my friend and my boss?" Sam retorted.  
"What? You are a milk machine though!" Tom protested and suddenly they heard cries coming from upstairs.  
"I bet it's Leah." Sam stated as she slowly manoeuvred herself off of the armchair whilst she had an arm under Ellie's bum to support her weight.  
"I bet it's Charlie." Tom stated before he sprinted up the stirs before the child disturbed the other six children up there.

Sam slowly made her way up the stairs whilst Ellie continued to suckle, and when she made it to the bedroom, she found Tom standing cuddling Leah and gently bouncing her.  
"I told you." Sam stated smugly.  
"What?"  
"I said it'd be Leah." Sam stated.  
"This isn't Leah, this is Megan." Tom stated.  
"No, that's Leah isn't it? I put Leah in the pink baby grow." Sam stated.  
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Tom stated as he went and laid the baby down on the changing mat. They had gotten new wrist bands for all of the babies so that they could label each of the children, because although it sounded mean that they couldn't recognise their own children, they really did not want to mix them up. He undid her baby grow, and pulled her left arm out of it before he read the label.

"Well?" Sam queried. "It's Leah isn't it?"  
"Yep." Tom sighed.  
"Told you." Sam said smugly.  
"But she looks exactly the same as Megan!" Tom protested quietly whilst he redressed the baby and then picked her up again to soothe her.  
"No, Leah has a little freckle on her cheek already." Sam stated.  
"Wait, I thought it was Summer who had the freckle." Tom stated. "Oh for gods sake, I'm useless at this."  
"No you're not. I've spent a lot more time with them, that's the only reason why I know who's who." Sam stated.  
"But that's it, I should be spending as much time with them as you do. I hate having to work." Tom stated.  
"Well look, you've still got a few weeks holiday that you can take off of work. I mean, Fletch can help me for the next two weeks while he's off of work, and then the week after that, maybe you could take it off of work and then you can stay at home." Sam suggested.  
"But then that'll be mid November and I'd rather have a long holiday around Christmas and new year." Tom stated.  
"Well then do that. Book two or three weeks off at christmas instead, and you'll have plenty of time with them." Sam stated.

"Okay." Tom nodded. "Speaking of which, one: what're we doing for christmas presents for the babies? and two: what are we doing for our anniversary?" He asked.  
"I was going to spend the mothercare voucher for them because we could get them some colourful toys, and they could do with some new blankets and things like that." Sam replied. "And as for our anniversary, I'm happy just to have a nice dinner or something, I don't really fancy going out." Sam admitted.  
"I've got an idea of what we could do without going out." Tom said suggestively. But he watched as Sam tensed up and then put Ellie down in her cot as she had finished feeding so he put down Leah too.  
"Tom... I..." Sam trailed off awkwardly as she really didn't know what to say. She knew their anniversary was just over two months away, but she knew her body wouldn't be back to what it was before then, and she didn't want him seeing her. Sure they had shared showers in the hospital a couple of times after her c section, but that was in a steamy dimly lit room, and he always stood behind her. He hadn't seen her since their last shower together, and that's the way she intended because even though it had been 12 weeks since the birth, she had still not found the time to start running again because she was always needed for feeding.

"Look, just tell me if you don't want to." Tom said softly.  
"No I want to it's just..."  
"Just what?" He asked as he took her hands in his. "Has the bleeding stopped?"  
"Yeah, of course it has." Sam stated timidly.  
"And have you started your periods again yet?"  
"No."  
"Well then what's the problem? Sam, I would understand if you don't want to, I just want to know why." Tom pleaded. "Is it me?" He asked eventually.  
"What? No of course not." Sam said.  
"Then what?" He repeated.  
"Tom please, please I don't want us to fight." Sam pleaded.  
"Neither do I. Look, is it your body?" He asked solemnly and he watched as Sam slowly looked up to meet his eyes with a look that he knew meant yes. "Well then why didn't you tell me in the first place?"  
"Becuase I know you're just going to tell me you don't care and that I look fine blah blah blah Tom, but it's _me_. _I_ need to feel comfortable before we can be that intimate again, I'm sorry." Sam mumbled.

Sam looked up as he didn't say anything, and she was about to try and leave the room to escape the tense atmosphere, but instead of leaving the room, she stepped into Tom's arms by mistake as he pulled her into his embrace and held her tightly.  
"You shouldn't be sorry. You haven't done anything wrong." Tom whispered over her shoulder.

Tom gently swayed from side to side as he held her in his arms for a few minutes, when the moment was interrupted by a loud wail.  
"That's Aaron." Sam and Tom stated at the same time as they pulled apart because they both knew that he was the loudest. Sure enough, as they turned around, Aaron - who was in the middle cot - was clenching his fists and turning red, but as soon as he saw his parents appear besides his cot, he held his arms out towards Sam.  
"Oh no no, with a face like that, you look like you've done something for daddy." Sam stated as she looked at Tom.  
"What?" He said confusedly.  
"He's got a dirty nappy." Sam stated.  
"But I can't smell it."  
"No, because he's only just done it. C'mon, change him." Sam ordered. Reluctantly, Tom bent down and picked Aaron up under his arms and carried him like a bomb about to explode before he laid him on the changing table.

"I am so knackered." Sam said exhaustedly as she fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes.  
"Why don't you express enough milk for tonight and then I can feed them?" Tom suggested.  
"Becuase I can't express enough for tonight." Sam stated. "It literally comes whenever milk is needed but I can't just make loads suddenly."  
"Well then, express as much as you can, and there's quite a few bottles in the fridge. And the extra can be made up with formula."  
"No, that'll affect my supply and I want them having breast milk as much as possible." Sam stated. "Anyway, how about we try the impossible challenge of bathing again?" Sam smiled as she sat up on the bed again, whilst Tom finished changing Aaron's nappy.

"I thought you said you were exhausted." Tom stated.  
"Yeah but, watching you trying to bath them always cheers me up." Sam stated before she headed into the ensuite bathroom to turn the taps on in the large oval bath that had plenty of room for Sam and Tom to share a bath, but that didn't mean that they could bath all of their children at the same time yet becuase they needed plenty of support and they weren't very good at sitting up by themselves.

"Right, I'll do the girls, you do the boys." Sam ordered as she reentered the room, and began to sort out eight clean white hooded towels, and the plastic box which contained baby shampoo, bubble bath and body wash for infants.  
"And you'll still be done before me." Tom stated.  
"It's not my fault you can't control your sons." Sam smiled.  
"It's not my fault that my sons have inherited your MMA skills when it comes to bath time." Tom protested.

* * *

Finally after a good twenty minutes of preparations, they were ready to bath their children. All eight babies - who were wrapped in their hoodie towel with only a nappy on - were lined up in their car seats becuase it made it easier to keep them there until they were needed, and Sam tidied their cots up and changed the sheets and blankets so they were fully prepared. Usually, Tom washed one baby on the right, and Sam would wash another on the left in the same bath to speed things up.

"Let's start with you." Sam cooed as she unstrapped Bella.  
"Dangle her above the water and see if she kicks or pushes down." Tom said quietly as he unstrapped Jonny. Both parents held the naked baby under their armpits and lowered them slightly, when Jonny kicked the water and splashed all up Tom's top. "Wow, you're not even in the water yet and I'm already wet, I think that's a record, well done Jonny." Tom said patronisingly before he dunked the baby into the warm water and sat him down where the water came up to his waist.  
"Bella's fine." Sam said innocently, as they watched Bella push down a little in the water with her feet, then place her hands on Sam's arms because she liked physical contact with her mother.  
"Well Bella's female, all of your sons are little pain in the backsides, aren't you Jonny?" Tom smirked but Sam splashed some water at him, and Bella giggled loudly like the stereotypical baby would. "Aw! I have been waiting for a giggle like that for ages!" Tom smiled as he forgot about his wife splashing him, and smiled proudly at his daughter.  
"Well maybe I should bully you more often." Sam remarked as she gently poured water over Bella to keep her warm. "And they're not my sons, they're _ours_." Sam corrected.

* * *

Sam had just wrapped Ellie in a towel and held her against her chest as she gently towel dried the brown, soft hair on the top of her head and she had finished bathing all five of the girls. However, Tom had only just put Charlie, the third and final boy, in the bath.  
"Hurry up, I want to read them a story before we put them to bed." Sam ordered before she went into the bedroom to put a nappy, a sleepsuit and a hat on Ellie, and then laid her down in her cot besides her twin, Bella. "Are you done-" Sam began as she poked her head around the bathroom door, only she burst out laughing as she found that Charlie has his hair bubbled up into a little spike on the top of his head, and Tom had a beard made of foam. "What on earth are you doing?" She laughed.  
"Nothing..." Tom said as he quickly wiped the beard and off and began rinsing the shampoo out of Charlie's hair.

* * *

"Right, you are the only one that isn't asleep, so please just close your eyes and at least pretend that you're asleep." Tom whispered to Charlie as he leant over the cot containing the three boys.  
"He probably just wants this, I took it out when I was changing the sheets." Sam stated as she picked up the small meerkat toy and placed it besides the infant. It was the same small toy that Charlie had had in his incubator since he was just a few hours old. "Night night." Sam whispered and slowly, Charlie closed his eyes and drifted off. "Right, that gives us about an hour before one of them wakes up, if we're lucky." Sam stated as she and her husband flopped onto the bed...

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Monday 20th October, 8am**

Tom had left for work, and Fletch had just arrived to stay with Sam to give him something to do whilst he was suspended for something that he didn't do.  
"Right, let's get to know you lot first, who's the troublemaker?" Fletch queried as he paced up and down the row of three cots where all babies had awoken and were alert.  
"More like troublemaker_s_," Sam corrected as she came out of the ensuite bathroom dressed in leggings and a hoodie to hide her abdomen, and her wet hair was up in a messy bun. "And it's all three of the boys." Sam stated. "The girls are little angels."

"And what makes the boys troublemakers?"  
"No matter how slow you are, they always wee when you open their nappies, and they're the loudest which results in waking up their sisters in the nights." Sam stated. "Listen, when they have their 10 o'clock nap, are you alright to stay in here while I go for a run in the gym? It's only just down the hall." Sam queried. When they had gone shopping with the magazines money, they had changed the games room into a home gym with a rowing machine, treadmill, cross trainer, exercise bike, yoga mats and weights.  
"Yeah sure, but you're not gonna push it too hard are you?" Fletch said caringly.  
"Nah, an hour's nothing." Sam stated, though she was feeling a little apprehensive at having her first run since the c section. And she was only doing it while Fletch was there, because she was worried about what Tom might say if he knew. "Right, breakfast is served." Sam announced as she picked up Bella and Ellie without a glitch and then sat on the bed with the two girls on her lap.  
"You want me to..." Fletch trailed off as he pointed to the door whilst she began to unzip her hoodie.

"No, it's fine." Sam stated as she pulled down her white vest top and then unclipped her bra. "In fact, would you mind changing the boys into short sleeve romper suits? They're folded up in that basket." Sam stated and Fletch quickly turned around because as Sam was feeding two girls, she had her entire chest out. He grabbed three of the clothing items requested, and set about dressing the three fidgety boys. "Oh and be careful on the changing table, they wriggle a lot." Sam warned.

* * *

In the largest of the four living rooms, Sam and Fletch had brought down the octuplets because they had spent most of their lives in NICU, and then in Sam and Tom's bedroom because it was hard for them to be transported. Sam had left Fletch in charge with most of them in their car seat/carriers, and Charlie and Jonny on a play mat whilst she went upstairs to get Summer's toy, but when she came back down, the two boys on they play mat were on their bellies, and Fletch was on his back as he held Aaron on top of him on his stomach.  
"What are you doing?" Sam smirked.  
"Tummy time, they love it." Fletch smiled, and he looked just like Tom as both males were childlike. "Have you got any spare blankets? Becuase if you roll them up and then put them under their chests then their neck and back muscles get stronger." Fletch suggested.  
"Can I trust you with them for another few minutes?" Sam joked before she left the room and soon returned with a stack of blankets. Fletch began organising the babies in a circle as they laid on their stomachs, and all eight were there but one of them became distressed and started crying.  
"Which one's that?" Fletch queried, as it was taking him a while to understand who was who.

"Ellie, she's pretty clingy. She probably just thinks I've gone." Sam stated as she knelt behind the young girl and placed a soothing hand on her back which settled her immediately. "There." Sam concluded.  
"You're a natural." Fletch stated.  
"Well I have had 12 weeks of them to practice." Sam stated. "Well actually, Ellie's only been home a couple of days." She corrected.  
"See, don't make excuses, you're a good mum." Fletch stated kindly.

"Right, I'd better go and make up eight lots of formula." Sam stated as she placed her hands on her thighs and then stood up. But Ellie started getting distressed again as she couldn't see or feel her mother. "And I suppose I should take you with me eh?" Sam smiled as she picked Ellie up off of the floor and held her against her chest.  
"I thought you breast feed." Fletch said confusedly.  
"I do, as much as I can. But it's impossible to make enough milk for eight of them. I've tried but Mr Solis said I need to supplement their diet with formula because they need a lot of nutrients." Sam explained solemnly.  
"Right, of course. Sorry I didn't think." Fletch apologised.  
"No, it's fine. But you're feeding them too." Sam added sheepishly before she left the room.

* * *

"Right, you do Megan and Summer first, and I'll do Ellie and Bella, and then I'll warm up the other formula and you can do Aaron and Jonny, and I'll do Leah and Charlie." Sam announced as she entered with Ellie clambering on her mother's shoulder and four bottles of formula.  
"Sounds like a plan." Fletch nodded as he put the four babies who were to be fed second back in their carriers to keep them safe. And then he grabbed Megan and Summer and sat down on the sofa. "This brings back memories." Fletch smiled as he sat both girls on his lap facing him and he held the bottle at a tilt for them as they began suckling.  
"How are your kids?" Sam asked curiously.  
"Good thanks. They're all growing up really fast. Evie's nearly ready for secondary school, she can't wait but I'm petrified." Fletch laughed a little when Sam glared at Ellie for holding on to her breast whilst she suckled from the bottle. "What's wrong with that?"  
"What?" Sam said confusedly and innocently.  
"You were giving her evils." Fletch stated.  
"Was I? Oops, I glare a lot and I don't even realise. I blame Tom." Sam smirked as she teased Ellie's hands off of her, however within seconds she replaced her hands on her mother's breast whilst she made direct eye contact with her mother with her bright blue eyes.

"You're giving her evils again." Fletch stated and Sam rolled her eyes. "Just let her hold you, she's not doing any harm."

* * *

**5:30pm**  
Tom had zoomed home straight after his shift because he longed to see his wife and children after a long day at work. He was silent as he entered because he didn't want to risk waking any sleeping babies, and as usual, it took a bit of exploring to find his wife. Sometimes, she'd be downstairs cooking dinner, whilst her children were taking their late afternoon nap upstairs and he'd always go and say hello to his wife first, however when he entered the kitchen, it was empty, though there was a dish in the oven that looked like lasagne, and there was a timer on that still had a while to go.

He then went into the living room where he found an adorable sight: Sam was sleeping on the sofa with Jonny and Charlie asleep on her chest and they were still latched on with her bust on show. Aaron was below his brothers on Sam's lap curled up and fast asleep. And Fletch entertaining the girls quietly on the floor. He had Megan, Summer and Leah in his lap facing their sisters Ellie and Bella who were in their carrier facing them and Fletch was softly reading them a book as they fell asleep.  
"Hello." Tom smiled as he went and sat next to Fletch on the floor.  
"Oh hiya, I didn't hear you come in." Fletch stated quietly.  
"I didn't want to wake them."  
"Well I managed to convince Sam to have a nap, she was knackered with these lot but she thinks she has a never ending energy supply like Duracell bunny." Fletch stated.  
"Mm, tell me about it." Tom smirked. Sam slowly opened her sleepy eyes and saw Fletch and Tom sitting cross legged on the carpet besides her, but as soon as she heard her name being mentioned, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. "Has she said anything to you about returning to work? Because I'm worried that the longer she leaves it, the harder it's going to be for her to settle back in. I mean don't get me wrong, I love knowing that Sam's at home with our kids all day rather than a few nannies, but I just don't want her struggling when she goes back to work after being off for months." Tom admitted.  
"Well she hasn't said anything to me, but I'm sure Zoe will ease her in gently. Besides, she's entitled to a year off, I'm sure she'll go back in her own time, and hopefully being a doctor is like riding a bike; you never forget the skills." Fletch replied quietly.

"Listen, can I ask you something? I mean, I know you're best friends with Sam, but can I ask you something and you promise you won't say anything to her?" Tom asked quietly as he glanced over at Sam to ensure that she still appeared to be sleeping - though he didn't know that she was listening to every word.  
"As long as it's not something that she really needs to know." Fletch replied and Tom took a deep breath before he began explaining.  
"Ash, is leaving. And Zoe has given me a proposition, of applying to be the new consultant. I mean, I'd still have to go through the interview process, but she said as an inside candidate, I'd almost certainly get the job. It's better pay and I'd get my own office, but I'm just worried about what Sam would think. Because she's still a registrar, and I'd be in charge over her, but... Well, I'm 32, and a chance like this to be made consultant isn't going to come around for another few years at least. And even then it wouldn't be in our area probably." He explained.

"Jesus Tom, you had me worried there! I thought you were ill or something." Fletch admitted. "Why don't you talk to her about it?"  
"Because I'm worried she might get jealous that if she hadn't had the babies, she would be able to apply for the job too, and that I don't know how she's going to deal with me earning that much more money than her. At the moment, we earn the same give or take a couple of hundred pounds a year." Tom stated.

"Look Tom, Sam might be a proud person, but she'd be proud of you if you got the job. And yeah, she'll be annoyed that you're a consultant and she isn't, but she'll put that aside because she'll be proud of you, and she'd never want to hold you back." Fletch stated and Sam internally let out a sigh of relief as Fletch knew exactly what she was thinking.  
"So you think I should go for it?" Tom asked.  
"Definitely. I mean, talk to Sam first, but it's a brilliant opportunity for you, and I'm sure the money will be needed as these lot grow up." Fletch stated and Tom knew that fletch didn't know about the mass amounts of money that they had made from selling the photos and the magazine interview etc.  
"Thanks mate." Tom smiled.  
"No worries. But I'd better get back to Nat and the kids soon." He stated and Tom took the hint so he took the book off of Fletch and put it aside, before he took Megan, Summer and Leah and put them in their carriers.

"That's fine, and thanks for staying with Sam today." Tom said gratefully as he showed Fletch out.  
"No worries. I kinda didn't tell Nat that I was suspended becuase I didn't know what she'd say, so I'm just glad I've got a place to go during the day." Fletch admitted and Tom smirked.  
"So you're telling me to speak to Sam, but you haven't even told your own wife that you're suspended? Hypocrite." Tom stated jokily.  
"Yeah yeah." Fletch smirked as he walked down their large driveway and got into his car. Tom waved him off, then locked the door and headed back to the living room where thankfully, all babies were fast asleep.

He bent down, brushed a bit of hair out of his wife's face, and pecked her softly on the forehead, and Sam felt that that was the time to pretend to wake up.  
"Tom?" She enquired sleepily.  
"Good evening." Tom smirked. "Open house is it?" He joked as he gestured her chest where Jonny and Charlie were still latched on, but fast asleep.  
"Shut up." Sam muttered jokily as she used her little finger to tease their limp mouths off of her, and then clipped her bra together and pulled her shirt up which didn't even remotely unsettle the two sleeping babies.

"I see we've got lasagne for dinner." He smiled.  
"Oh, yeah. I was bored so I just messed about with the stuff we had in the cupboards so it's not a precisely followed recipe." Sam admitted.  
"Well I'm sure it'll be a lot better than my attempts at a lasagne." Tom joked and Sam smiled.

"How was work?" She queried as she hoped that he would speak to her about the upcoming consultant's post. She gently stroked the two boy's backs as they rose and fell to the rhythm of their breathing.  
"Um... Hectic, as usual." Tom smirked. "Listen, I've got something I need to talk to you." He admitted.  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah, but I'll wait until dinner. Don't worry, it's nothing serious." He stated as Sam creased her eyebrows in mock confusion.  
"Okay..." Sam replied hesitantly, though she knew exactly what it would going to be about.  
"How have these lot been today?" Tom asked to change the subject as he picked Jonny and Charlie off of Sam, so that she could cradle Aaron off of her lap, and then sit up properly.  
"Um... Alright I suppose. Ellie's still being really clingy though, she wouldn't lie on her stomach without crying unless I was talking to her or I had my hand on her back."  
"Well maybe we should start looking at nannies." Tom suggested. "I mean, when you go back to work, we want them to know the nannies and to be comfortable with them don't we?"  
"Yeah, but I'm not going back to work yet." Sam stated sternly. "And you said nannies. As in plural." She stated.  
"Well we're going to need more than one nanny for these lot aren't we?"  
"I manage by myself when you got to work and Fletch isn't here." Sam stated smugly.  
"Yes but you're their mother. I think we're going to need highly skilled nannies to look after this lot. They can be a handful when they're not around you."  
"A handful? Tom you can't even hold four with both arms let alone all eight of them." Sam joked.  
"Haha, very funny." Tom said sarcastically.  
"Oh c'mon, that was pretty funny." Sam said smugly.

* * *

With all of their babies upstairs in their cots fast asleep, Sam and Tom were sitting with a long range baby monitor besides them at the table for ten in the dining room, opposite each other with a plate of lasagne and tomato salad.  
"Right, c'mon what was this thing you wanted to talk about?" Sam demanded.  
"Ah right um... Well, Ash is going to be leaving soon, so there's going to be a consultant's vacancy going." Tom explained slowly.  
"And you want to go for it." Sam concluded.  
"That was a lot easier than I expected." Tom admitted to himself. "But yes I do. But I wanted to ask what you thought about it first." Tom admitted. "I mean, I'd be earning a six digit wage every year, I'd have my own office and Zoe said that i'd get more holiday off per year, but I would have to be oncall sometimes, and I would have to do unpaid overtime to catch up on paperwork." He explained.

"Go for it." Sam ordered. "If that's what you want, then go for it."  
"Really? You'd be okay with it?"  
"Of course I am. We're both registrars, the sooner we get made consultants the better, and although I'm not going to even get a chance for another few years or even a decade because of my age, I want you to go for it if that's what you want." Sam explained because they both knew that the average age of being made consultant was around 40 years, and Sam was only 29, whilst Tom was 32.

"Thank you, I mean there's no guarantee that I'll get the job, but I've definitely got an interview." Tom said excitedly.  
"When?" Sam queried.  
"Um, Zoe said they're going to accept applications for this week and next week, and then interviews will start a week or two after that." Tom stated.  
"Well then get an application form tomorrow and I'll help you fill it out."  
"Who said I can't fill one out by myself?"  
"Fine, I won't give you my expertise." Sam shrugged.  
"No, no. I will want _some_ help." Tom stated.  
"Oh right, and how much is some?" Sam smirked.  
"Depends what I actually have to fill out." Tom admitted sheepishly. "You sure you're okay with this?"  
"Definitely." Sam nodded confidently.  
"Thanks, and thanks for the dinner too, it's lovely." Tom smiled.

* * *

"Would you like a shower or bath together?" Tom suggested as they had just cleaned the kitchen up, and decided to call it a day.  
"You heard what I said last week about being intimate." Sam sighed.  
"Alright, how about I give you a back massage with those oils you got as presents?" Tom suggested and Sam's face lightened up as she contemplated the idea - he would only see her back, not her front. "Go on, go and get comfortable in bed and I'll be up in a minute." He ordered gently, as he decided that it would be best to give her a moment to undress alone. Sam smiled at her husband before she made her way upstairs and into their bedroom where their babies were all fast asleep.

A few minutes later, Tom arrived in his bedroom to find Sam laying on her front in the middle of the bed with nothing on her top half, and her pyjama shorts on her bottom half. He could see the sides of her breasts to which he smiled, however the more prominent thing was the stretch marks that she had on the sides of her hips.  
"Right, you're lucky I've got warm hands." Tom said softly as he switched off the main light, leaving just the bedside light to give the room a warm glow. He assumed that Sam had already chosen the oil because there was a small bottle of lavender oil on her bedside table so he picked it up, and then got on top of her so he was lightly sitting on her bum with his knees either side of her taking most of his weight. "You comfortable?" He asked curiously.  
"Mmhmm." Sam mumbled sleepily into her pillow so Tom proceeded to put some oil into his hands, rub them together to warm the oil up, and then he began massaging her body from the neck downwards.

As he sat on her bum and caressed her body, he couldn't help but long to have intercourse with her once more - they hadn't for months - and at times, he felt desperate as a young male to pursue his urges, however he would never force Sam into anything that she didn't want, so he was being patient with her.

Once he'd rubbed all of the oil into Sam's skin, he leant forward and gave her gently, soft kisses around the back of her neck and behind her ears which gave her goosebumps. Slowly, Sam turned over so she was facing him, but as he went to look down at her chest and abdomen, she put her finger under his chin and stopped him from doing so.

He lunged in and gave her a passionate kiss, and just as Sam was putting her hands down his boxers, a baby began to cry.  
"Ellie." Sam and Tom sighed at the same time. Tom thought they were finally getting somewhere, but he couldn't leave his baby to cry alone - it broke his heart to hear her distressed. He got off of Sam who quickly pulled her pyjama top on to cover herself, and lifted Ellie out of her cot however after several minutes of rocking and bouncing, she wasn't having it.  
"Pass her here." Sam ordered as she laid down on the bed on her side, and patted the mattress besides her. Tom laid Ellie down and Sam used her arm as a barrier around her body.

Within seconds, she was silent, she grabbed onto Sam's breast through her shirt and fell asleep.  
"She can sleep here tonight." Sam whispered.  
"What?"  
"C'mon, she's at a clingy stage. If she sleeps with me, she'll sleep through the night hopefully." Sam stated. "I'm a light sleeper and I don't fidget unlike you so it'll be fine." She added as Tom came around and slipped into bed besides his two girls. "I-"  
"Alright, I'm convinced. She can sleep with us." Tom said quietly as he snuggled up behind Sam and wrapped his arms around her, and held a hand with his daughter. "But this is not happening every night." He warned.  
"We'll see about that." Sam thought to herself.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Midnight**

"Please will you just sleep." Sam pleaded tiredly as she held Ellie's hands. She had the little girl propped up on her thighs as she sat in the dim living room where she had resorted to going because the girl would not settle and she was disturbing her brothers and sisters. "Right, let's try this one more time." Sam huffed as she pulled her vest top down and held Ellie's head closer to her breast, but she screwed her reddened cheeks up and pulled away from her mother. "I don't understand, what do you want me to do?" Sam almost shouted at the infant as she was so exhausted and just wanted to get to sleep.

The baby just cried even harder before she swung her fists around and hit Sam in the chest which caused her to grimace in pain as she pulled her shirt back up because she was engorged as the baby wouldn't feed.

"Sam?" Tom queried sleepily as he entered the room with his hair all sticking up and he was only in his boxers.  
"I don't know what to do, she-she won't stop crying and she's not eating and-" Sam blurted out quickly.  
"Sam, calm down." Tom whispered as he picked up Ellie and balanced the four month old infant on his hip. "What's up with you eh?" He cooed, but suddenly she vomited on Tom's bare chest. "She's got a fever." Tom stated concernedly as he felt her forehead.  
"No. You don't think..." Sam said worriedly as she jumped to her feet. "God I am so stupid, why didn't I think?" Sam hit herself on the forehead as she ran into the hallway, slipped on her shoes and pulled a hoodie on over her tight vest top and short shorts.  
"Sam, it's probably just a cold or a stomach bug." Tom stated as he knew that she was clearly worrying about meningitis.  
"Tom, fever, vomiting, refusing to eat and irritability. I'm taking her to the hospital now." Sam stated as she took the distressed girl off of Tom and the picked up the home phone. Tom watched as she called a taxi because they knew they didn't require a baby carrier and it would be quicker.

"Right, let me know as soon as you have any news and don't you worry about these lot alright, I've got it covered." Tom said reassuringly. "And surely you'd better go and get dressed first?" He stated as he nodded to her very short shorts, the hoodie and her long hair that was slightly messy as she had been up all night.  
"The taxi will be here any minute." Sam stated. "Tom what if it is meningitis?" Sam asked worriedly. "And she's shared the same cot as Bella tonight and she was sharing the same toy as Charlie and the same blanket as-"  
"Sam you'll make yourself sick if you worry about the what ifs, just take things as they go, and stay calm, Ellie's not going to be reassured by her mother if your heart is beating ten to the dozen is she?" Tom said as he tucked Ellie's soft brown hair behind her ears.

* * *

After paying the taxi driver, Sam pulled her hood up and ran into the ED with Ellie zipped up in her hoodie. She felt awful - she hadn't slept, she was still in her pyjamas, and her hear was a mess - and she hadn't been in the ED for over six months. Sam ran into reception with her arms around Ellie and looked around frantically when finally she saw someone who could help. Even at after midnight on a Wednesday morning, the ED had a few people in it, so it wasn't deadly silent.  
"Zoe, Zoe I need your help." Sam shouted and her boss turned around and quickly approached the distressed woman.  
"Sam?"  
"Quick, I need a lumbar puncture, blood and urine tests. I think it's meningitis." Sam said as she caught her breath back.  
"What?" Zoe queried and Sam unzipped her hoodie and showed her boss the distressed infant who had tears pouring down her face, red cheeks and a snotty nose.  
"Please, you've got to help me." Sam pleaded.  
"Okay okay, c'mon let's get her a bed in resus." Zoe said as she opened the doors for Sam, and pointed over to one of three empty beds. "Right, run me through what's going on." Zoe ordered as she got a thermometer and placed it in the girl's ear after Sam had sat on the bed and placed the girl in her lap.  
"She hasn't slept all night, fever, she hasn't eaten for hours, she's irritable, won't stop crying and she's vomited once." Sam explained.  
"Yep, definite fever. Okay, what's her name?" Zoe asked.

"Oh um, Ellie. It's Ellie." Sam said quickly.  
"Sam, calm down, it's probably just a tummy bug." Zoe said reassuringly.  
"No, it's not. Zoe she's had a tummy bug before this is different. I'm her mum, I know." Sam argued.  
"Sam, I'm Ellie's doctor. You said it yourself, you're her mum, and you're not on duty. Just let me examine her." Zoe said sternly. Sam slipped off of the bed and laid Ellie down on her back. Zoe watched as Sam's hands were shaking a little as she unbuttoned her baby grow, only when she pulled it off, she revealed a red rash on the infant's abdomen above her nappy. "Has she had this rash before?" Zoe asked curiously.  
"No, no I didn't even know it was there until now." Sam blurted out. Zoe pushed a non emergency button on the wall to alert a nurse that they were needed before she wheeled over an equipment trolley.  
"Okay, now you can go into doctor mode, I need a full medical history Sam." Zoe ordered.

"Okay um, born at 31 weeks gestation, needed ventilation to breath, but slowly weaned off, and discharged at 12 weeks old, she's now four months old and no other problems except minor eczema that has been treated with E45. And she's up to date with all of her jabs." Sam explained shakily.  
"Right, ah Rita, can you get me 500mg of infant suspension paracetamol please." Zoe ordered.  
"Sam?" Rita queried.  
"Rita, go now." Zoe ordered and the nurse quickly left. "Right Sam, I'm going to take a blood sample. Do you want to hold her and keep her as calm as you can?" Zoe said softly as she picked up a kidney dish with a syringe in it. Sam picked up the baby that was only in a nappy, and held her facing her chest so that she didn't see the needle.

"Sshh, sshh." Sam whispered as Zoe took the small sample from the baby's arm before she stepped back.  
"Okay." Zoe said softly. "Right, I'll send this off okay, just try and keep her calm." Zoe said before she left the room.

* * *

It'd felt like forever when Zoe entered the room once more after Rita had been in to give Ellie the paracetamol.  
"Right, I'd like to do a lumbar puncture because of her symptoms, so I need your permission." Zoe said quietly as she offered Sam a clipboard which the mum eagerly signed. "Okay, I'll get that organised. Do you want me to get you anything? A coffee?" She offered kindly as she mother stood vigilantly over the bed. But Sam shook her head. "Sam, I know it's hard-"  
"How on earth would you know? You don't have kids." Sam snapped, and unfortunately for Zoe, Sam didn't know about her fertility problems so it hit her harder than Sam had intended.  
"No I don't. But Sam, look you're putting yourself at too much risk here, I've already put this room in isolation, and I know you want to stay with Ellie, but you need to make sure you're aware of the risks that you're putting yourself at." Zoe said sternly.

"I don't care." Sam mumbled.  
"Right. Do you want me to call Tom and give him an update?"  
"I'll do it." Sam stated.  
"Okay. I'll be back in a minute." Zoe stated before she left the room with the mother who was going from snappy to emotional within seconds.

* * *

After having the lumbar puncture, Ellie wasn't any better because it had only distressed her even further, and Sam was sitting on the bed with her in her arms as she tried to settle her, when Zoe and Tom came into the room.  
"Tom? Where's the others?" Sam demanded.  
"Calm down, Fletch and Natalie are with them in the staffroom, I brought the minivan." Tom stated reassuringly.  
"Right, so what's happening?" Sam asked her boss as she stood up with the infant.  
"Well, we're still waiting for the blood and lumbar puncture tests, but I need a urine sample too. And I know it's hard for an infant, but you're just going to have to try your best." Zoe explained as she held up an absorbent pad and a urine sample pot. "The best thing to do is to hold her without a nappy on, keep this pad over your lap. And just wait. Trying to feed her might help, and it might be a bit messy but we need a urine sample." Zoe explained as Tom helped Sam onto the bed. Zoe laid the absorbent pad over Sam's lap and then Tom took the little girl's clean nappy off.

"Right, Tom, I can only suggest that seeing as sam has had so much contact, it's best you don't touch Ellie, so that you can still hold your other kids. And Sam, it's best you don't touch the others until we get the results back." Zoe stated.  
"Okay, do you want me to get you a pair of scrubs from the locker room?" Tom asked softly becuase Sam was still in her pyjamas.  
"I'm fine." Sam mumbled.  
"But-"  
"I said I'm fine!" Sam snapped as she sat ready with the pot. However, she knew she could be waiting a while until the little girl had a wee because she wasn't having any milk.

"Right, you'd better get back to the others." Zoe said to Tom. "And I'll leave you to it. Just press the button if you need anything or if she's filled the pot."  
"Wait, can you turn the lights down please? If she's got a meningitis it could be the light that's distressing her." Sam asked clinically. Tom leant across and turned the lights around Sam's bed off, leaving her in a dimmer resus. "Thanks." Sam mumbled as Tom walked away without saying another word.

* * *

**1:30am**  
Sam was sitting with her chin resting on Ellie's head, forcing herself to keep her eyelids open, when she felt something wet on her hand. She looked down and Ellie was weeing so she quickly moved the pot to make sure she got a sample, and despite Sam getting a wet hand, she managed to fill the pot all the way up.  
"Good girl, thank you." Sam whispered as she kissed Ellie on the top of her head before she screwed the lid on the pot and put it on the side. Sam pressed the button to alert Zoe, and then wiped her hand dry on the absorbent pad that she had on her lap.

Within moments, Zoe entered the room.  
"Got the sample? That was quick, we have to wait hours sometimes." Zoe stated.  
"I know, I do work here." Sam stated quietly.  
"Yes, of course you do sorry. I didn't mean to..."  
"It's fine." Sam muttered. "Listen, could you go and ask Tom to see if he brought their changing bag, and a new baby grow please? And tell him I said sorry for snapping."  
"Of course." Zoe smiled before she left the room and strode across to the staffroom - oh how she hated doing night shifts. But she was glad she was on this one so Sam and Tom's daughter would be ensured to get the best possible care. She opened the staffroom door to find it full of children - eleven to be exact. Seven of the octuplets, and Fletch and Natalie's four children who had been brought because Fletch and Natalie needed to help Tom look after the others, and they didn't want to leave their kids alone.

One of the sofa's was occupied by Evie, Mikey and Ella, all of whom were fast asleep under the blankets. And Fletch's fourth child was in his Moses basket, and also asleep. All seven of the octuplets were being kept in their individual carriers in case they were ill or contaminated because they didn't want to risk cross infection, and most were asleep or sleepy.  
"Tom, Ellie's given a urine sample so Sam's asking for a change of clothes and nappy. And she asked me to say she's sorry for snapping at you." Zoe explained. All three adults were sitting at the breakfast bar, attempting to stay awake, though Natalie had given in and was fast asleep.  
"Go on, I've got this lot covered." Fletch smirked sleepily.  
"Thanks." Tom smiled as he got up, grabbed the large changing bag that he had brought with them, and made his way over to resus.

* * *

"Right c'mon little girl. This is the best medicine that money cannot buy." Tom stated as he crouched down besides Sam who was trying to feed Ellie, as she hadn't eaten in hours. "And, if there's anything that you can keep down, breast milk is supposed to be the easiest. C'mon, darlin' just for mummy and daddy." Tom cooed. "It's either you have mummy's milk, or you have disgusting formula which we both know you hate." He said childishly. Slowly, he moved Ellie's hands until she was holding on to Sam's breast, and as Ellie opened her mouth, Tom gently pushed the back of her head forward so that she latched on.

It wasn't like a usual feed, but Ellie was gently taking small sips and swallowing tiny quantities of breastmilk.  
"Good girl." Sam whispered.  
"Good girl indeed." Tom smiled.  
"How are the others?" Sam asked curiously to take his attention away from her breast.  
"Um, all asleep or there abouts." Tom stated. "They're fine, and I've kept an eye on Bella because they shared a cot, and she seems completely normal. No change whatsoever." Tom stared reassuringly.  
"Right, I've got the test results." Zoe announced as she entered the room with an orange envelope. "Sorry." She apologised as she realised that Sam was breastfeeding.  
"No, it's fine. Carry on." Sam ordered.

"Well?" Tom queried as Zoe opened the envelope and briefly glanced over the figures.  
"Right, it is meningitis in afraid."  
"No..." Sam whispered in disbelief.  
"But, it is only viral, not bacterial." Zoe stated and Sam and Tom's face lit up.  
"So she's going to be okay?" Sam asked hopefully An they both knew the massive different between a viral infection and a bacterial infection.  
"Well you know I can't say for sure but I believe that she will make a full recovery." Zoe stated. "And if she's starting to take breast milk again, the paracetamol must be making her feel a little bit better. I think the best plan of action, is to begin her on a course of strong antibiotics, antiemetics and continue with the paracetamol. And she'll recover within 5-14 days." Zoe stated. "On the other hand, I would like to give the other octuplets a smaller dose of antibiotics, purely as a precaution to prevent them from getting ill too. And once I'm sure the antibiotics are working, we'll probably be able to discharge Ellie by morning." She explained. "And Tom, I know your interview for the consultants post is next week, so I think for you, the best thing would be to give you compassionate leave for now so you can help Sam look after Ellie and the others. And then you'll have more time to prepare for your interview. How does that sound?" Zoe smiled.

"That's just, brilliant, thank you." Tom said gratefully.  
"No worries. Now I'll go and get this little one's antibiotics."  
"Zoe, wait... I'm sorry about being a cow and ordering you what to do. I should've trusted you." Sam admitted.  
"No worries, you were just being a mum." Zoe stated before she left the room.

* * *

**10am**  
Sam slowly opened her eyes and realised that she was still in a paeds cubicle in the ED lying on a hospital bed on her side, with Ellie curled up in her arms besides her.  
"Morning." Rita smiled as she saw the new mum slowly awoke. "Ellie's antibiotics are certainly kicking in, and she's been officially discharged by Zoe. But no one dared to wake you." She admitted and Sam smiled to herself.  
"Where's Tom?" Sam croaked as she slowly sat up.  
"Loading up the minivan I believe. Y'know, there's sixteen seats for sixteen people, that is what I call lucky." She stated and Sam looked at her confusedly. "Well you, Tom and the octuplets, plus Fletch, Natalie and his four kids." She explained and Sam nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to get you anything?" She asked kindly.  
"No thanks, I'd better get going because this little girl needs plenty of rest. And after a night like that, I do too." Sam stared tiredly as she got off of the bed and cradled Ellie - who was fast asleep after her sleepless night - against her chest.

Slowly, Sam made her way to the entrance, and she arrived just in time.  
"Ah, I was just about to come and get you." Tom stated cheerily as he got out, followed by Fletch and Natalie whilst all of her he kids stayed in the minivan. "I'll put her in her car seat." Tom stated as he opened the back of the minivan and then took Ellie off of her mum.  
"Thank you for helping to look after our lot last night, I'm sorry it was a false alarm." Sam apologised.  
"Oh no, don't be silly, we'd be just as worried if it was one of ours, and I can't imagine how hard it is to keep track of eight babies." Natalie said kindly.  
"Yeah besides, we earned a free ride home." Fletch smirked.  
"Oh didn't Tom tell you, we charge per mile per person." Sam joked.  
"Right, everyone's in the minivan so let's go!" Tom announced and the adults smirked before they padded on to the vehicle after a long, exhausting night.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**14th November**

**8am**  
"Right, how do I look?" Tom asked as he arrived downstairs in the living room where Sam was breastfeeding two of the girls, and she had a Ellie on her lap too. Just seven days into her antibiotic course, Ellie was much better, though she still had sensitivity to bright lights and she did still require paracetamol sometimes when Sam could only assume she either had a headache or achey muscles because she was irritable and upset.  
"There's a tiny bit of your shirt untucked." Sam stated. Tom looked down at his bluey-grey suit and tucked his shirt in properly. "Hang on, didn't you wear that for our wedding?" Sam queried.  
"Maybe." Tom replied sheepishly. "C'mon, if I married you in this, it's got to be lucky."  
"You don't need luck." Sam stated. "You'll get the consultants post, and you'll be the smuggest git on the ward." Sam smirked.  
"Not with the outside candidates, and Ethan's going for it. And Guy Self is observing the interviews." Tom stated worriedly.  
"Is he? Why?"  
"I don't know, probably to make sure that Zoe is impartial. But that doesn't make my life any easier."  
"Tom, just pretend that you hardly know Zoe when you go in, I've seen your presentation, and we've practiced questions, you'll be fine. And at the end of the day, if you don't get the job, nothing will be lost, you've still got a secure well paid job." Sam stated reassuringly. "Here, give Ellie a good luck cuddle because she's climbing all over me." Sam ordered.

"I'd rather not risk getting baby vomit on my suit." Tom stated.  
"But-"  
"I'm joking, come here princess." Tom launched Ellie into the air before he caught her and tickled her causing her to giggle which never failed to cheer Tom up. "Right, you be a good girl for mummy, and I'd better get going. Oh and make sure your brothers tidy their cot. They had a crazy night and there's blankets and milk bottles everywhere." Tom joked. "You need more nipples." He stated as he carefully laid Ellie on Sam's chest in between the two breastfeeding individuals.  
"Okay, I'll order some online." Sam said sarcastically.  
"Right, I'll see you later." Tom bent down and pecked Sam on the lips before he buttoned up his blazer.  
"Good luck." Sam smiled.  
"Thank you." Tom called before he shut the door behind him.

* * *

"Mr Kent." Zoe called down the corridor where he and a few other candidates were sitting on chairs waiting for their interview.  
"Yep." Tom rubbed his hands together nervously before he made his way after his boss. He sat down at a large table, with six people including Guy Self, Zoe and Charlie and three members of the board sitting opposite him. The room was eerily silent as Tom waited for the questions to begin, but he remained sitting upright and put on a confident look because her didn't want to appear weak for a job that required a lot of independence.

"Okay, so first of all Tom, tell us about yourself." Zoe ordered clinically - they had both agreed to pretended that they barely knew each other for the sake of impartiality because Guy was there to observe, and Zoe wanted everything to appear above water.

"Well...

* * *

"And Tom, we see that you're currently a paediatric registrar, but before hand you haven't had any experience with other children, or more importantly newborns who could require neonatal care. We had 45 people apply for this job, why should we hire you over someone who had had rotations in a neonatal intensive care unit?" Zoe asked clinically, and internally Tom was jumping for joy as he knew that the question had been tailored for him.

"Well, you've probably heard in the news about octuplets, and I'm their dad." Tom stated bluntly, causing all of the adults except Zoe to appear shocked. "Our oldest spent 7 weeks in NICU, and our youngest spent 12 weeks in NICU. Me and my wife were vital parts of their care plans, so I feel that I have learnt a lot from the experience first hand, which is why I would be more suitable than other candidates because I have seen eight cases from conception, through pregnancy, to them growing up, rather than just dealing with infants case by case for a matter of hours - NICU and paeds are often back logged in this hospital, so if we were to have patients in the ED in need of care, I would be able to take charge of their care plan, rather than having to transfer them to another hospital which could possibly jeopardise their care." Tom explained confidently as he made eye contact with the interviewers.

"Okay. What do you think the challenges will be as a new consultant?" Guy asked.  
"I believe that stepping up to a much larger work load will certainly be challenging at first, however I can easily adapt to change, and I am willing to put in 100% effort to ensure that none of my patients would suffer as a result of my promotion." Tom stated.

"And how would you improve the relationship between doctors and nurses in the ED because in today's day and age, we appear to have a clear hierarchy within roles in the unit." Charlie asked.  
"Well, I don't believe in a hierarchy. The fact is is that if there were to be a nurse off sick, the ED would struggle just as much as we would if a doctor is off, if not more so, because every single member of the team is needed. Without a strong team, you cannot provide the best care for your patients, which is why it is vital that there is strong relationship between doctors and nurses. And I would improve that relationship by ensuring that everyone is treated equally, no matter what their pay or role." Tom stated.

"As consultant, you'd have authority over the registrars in the ED. Isn't your wife a registrar in the ED?" Guy asked and Tom felt a lump in his throat form.  
"Yes, she is." Tom replied confidently.  
"And what would you do, if your wife made a mistake or an error? Would you be able to punish or sanction her like you would another registrar?" Guy asked.  
"I... Wouldn't trust myself to remain impartial, so I would pass the decision to Ms Hanna as clinical lead to ensure that she was dealt with fairly." Tom replied slowly.  
"And you're certain that you would be able to hand over the decision, even if it could result in the loss of her job?" Guy queried.  
"Yes. If she did something wrong, I wouldn't want there to be a weak link on the ward, whether I'm related or not." Tom stated, though he knew perfectly well if Sam made a mistake, he would cover for her. And in truth, Zoe knew that too, though Mr Self seemed convinced and that was what mattered to Tom.

"Very well. Thank you for your time, you're welcome to wait in the corridor for the decision later this afternoon." Guy stated.  
"Thank you." Tom forced a smile before he escaped the room - he had never felt so claustrophobic in his life, despite the fact that the room was quite large.

* * *

Tom had been sitting on the chairs in the corridor, waiting for what seemed like forever, when it had only been an hour, with the other candidates, when Fletch came with two cups from the cafe.  
"I thought you could do with a coffee mate." Fletch stated as he handed Tom one of the containers.  
"Thanks." Tom smiled as he stood up, and they walked along the corridor and leant over the barrier looking down in reception to get away from the other candidates who were all obviously in it for themselves, and none of them looked friendly.  
"So how'd the interview go?" He queried.  
"Um... The questions were a bit more personal than I thought they'd be." Tom admitted. "Mr Self asked if I'd be able to punish Sam if she did something wrong because I'd have power over my wife."  
"And what did you say?" Fletch queried curiously.  
"I said I'd hand the decision over to Zoe, I wouldn't be able to be impartial." Tom stated.  
"Good answer." Fletch said reassuringly.  
"Maybe but I don't think I've got the job." Tom admitted.  
"Why not?"  
"Have you seen the other candidates? They didn't even bat an eyelid and I was a nervous wreck. Besides, I asked Zoe last week, she said she's seen the other candidates files, and most of them have been consultants before. I haven't. They're obviously going to prefer someone with experience over me." Tom stated. "Y'know what, I might as well just go home to Sam and the kids, at least then I can be somewhat helpful." Tom stated but Fletch stood in his way of the staircase.

"No, Tom. Look if you haven't got the job, at least accept it like a man. What's Guy going to think if you don't even stick around the for the verdict? He's going to think you're a coward." Fletch stated. "Just go and sit down." He ordered and Tom sighed before he went and sat down next to the other candidates once more, who gave him dirty looks as they had obviously caught on that Tom was an inside candidate as he knew the nurse.

* * *

**4:30pm**  
Tom was absolutely knackered and he wanted nothing more than to go home and snuggled up in his bed with his children - they sometimes co-slept with some of them, and tonight that would be needed. But he wanted to stay for the end result, and finally, Zoe came out of the meeting room.  
"Could we see Mr Read, Mr Clark, and Ms Leeson please." Zoe demanded as she held the office door open. There were twelve people in the corridor in total, and Tom could tell that they were beginning to tell people whether they got the job or not, he just had a little longer to wait. Three people got up and strode into the room with their heads held high, whilst Tom began touching each of his fingers to his thumb to occupy his time.

* * *

**4:45pm**  
Tom had watched each and every one of the nine people's faces as they came out of the room, and none looked overjoyed to say the least. There was just him and a woman left on the chairs when Zoe came out.  
"Can you two come in please?" She asked and the two eagerly got up and entered the meeting room. They stood by the table, no daring to sit because if they hadn't gotten the job, they wanted to exit as soon as possible. "Now you both gave brilliant interviews, and I would be delighted to have both of you on our team. But we don't have the budget. And so, we'd like to offer the job of Paediatric Specialist _Consultant_ for the ED to Mr Kent." Zoe stated and Tom's face lit up like a child on christmas morning. "And as for you Ms Goodall, we'd like to offer you another position, which would be paediatric specialist _registrar_ in the ED." Zoe stated, as that would be Tom's old job. "Now, you can have some time to think about it, but-"

"No, no. I'll take it." She said eagerly.  
"Well then, I suppose a bottle of champagne is in order." Guy smiled as he picked up the green bottle with gold wrappings off of the table that was next to several empty champagne flutes.  
"Um, I'd love to but I really should be getting home to my wife and kids, and I'm driving so..." Tom trailed off.  
"Go on." Zoe said kindly. "And don't be late on Monday!" She shouted as Tom left the room.

* * *

Sam was sitting on the living room floor with the three baby boys in her lap, and the five girls all either leaning against Sam's legs to keep them sitting up or in their carrier seats, whilst Sam read a book to them. She had her phone on loud right next to her and had been waiting for news for ages, when she heard the front door open. Within seconds, Tom bounded into the living room with a bag from the Chinese takeaway and he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.  
"I got the job!" Tom announced.  
"Oh well done! I told you not to worry." Sam smiled. "And I would get up for a hug but..." She trailed off as she gestured the babies.  
"Aw, are you reading to them?" Tom smiled back as he placed the bag on the coffee table.  
"Yeah but we've just finished the book." Sam stated.  
"Well I hope you haven't done anything for dinner because we're having Chinese." He stated as he began to lift the babies and sat them in a row on the sofa, leaning against the back of it to give them support. Once all eight of them were sitting on the three seater sofa, Sam and Tom sat on the floor besides them and began eating their dinner.

"I'm so proud of you. Well done." Sam said sincerely.  
"Thanks, and hey, I've got my own office, so we can bring these lot to work sometimes when I've got to catch up on paperwork." Tom stated.  
"Mm, I'm sure you'll get _loads_ of work done with these lot to help you." Sam said sarcastically.  
"I don't suppose they could have a tiny bit of prawn cracker to celebrate could they?" Tom queried.  
"No. No solid food yet, and when they do, it'll be puréed fruit and things like that. Besides, if you put it on their tongue, they'd probably be frightened by the crackling." Sam joked and Tom smirked.

"True." Tom agreed. "So what have you been up to today?" He queried.  
"Um, same old same old. Oh and Summer threw up one of her feeds, but I think she was just sucking too fast."  
"That's what he said." Tom remarked.  
"Tom!" Sam shrieked. "Don't say that in front of them!"  
"What? They don't know what it means, look at them they're laughing and smiling." Tom stated and he was right as all eight of them were either giggling or giving a gummy smile. "And besides, you shouldn't be calling me the T word, it's daddy." Tom stated.  
"Fine, _daddy_. Don't say things like that in front of them." Sam said sternly.  
"Okay, I'll cover their ears next time. Oh wait, I'd need 16 hands to do that." Tom said sarcastically.

"Look, I was going to offer you this to cheer you up if you didn't get the job, but... Once we've put them to bed, as long as it's in the dark, we can have a bath together." Sam offered slowly. "And... It can go a bit further too when we get into bed." She added suggestively.  
"You sure you're ready?" He queried.  
"Mmhmm." Sam nodded. "Look I know my body isn't back to normal, but I'm getting there." Sam admitted.  
"I know, and you're wearing your jeans that you wore before you were pregnant so you can't be far off what you were before. If I'm honest, with clothes on, you look exactly the same as you did before you were pregnant. And as I've told you before, I'm not with you for your looks, I'm with you for your money." Tom joked.  
"Ooh, you do know how to charm a girl." Sam smirked.

* * *

After taking a while to settle, all eight babies were getting off to sleep and the bath was running warm soapy water in the ensuite.  
"If we leave the blinds down, the lights off and the bathroom door open, is that dark enough for you?" Tom asked kindly and quietly as he began to strip. It was dark outside, but they were keeping a night light on in the bedroom near the cots, so they could see where they were going.  
"Yeah." Sam said timidly as she began by pulling her leggings and underwear down - she was far more comfortable with her bottom half than her upper half. Tom laid down in the bubbly hot water and once Sam had undressed her saw her saggy stomach with stretch marks.

He pulled her on top of him, until she had her face buried in his chest and her head tucked under his chin.  
"This is nice." Tom smiled as he slowly rubbed his hands up and down Sam's back under the water."  
"Mm." Sam smiled as she smoothed her hands from his chest downwards and began teasing him.  
"And that is even nicer." Tom smirked.  
"Are you sure they're not going to know what's going on?"  
"Of course they're not. Right now they don't know the different between a boy and a girl, let alone what we're going to do." Tom stated. "We can do it under the cover if it'll make you feel better. In fact, it's pretty cold now that I've turned the heating off so I'd rather do it under the duvet." Tom offered and he felt Sam melt into his embrace even further. "Wow, have you actually shaved your legs?" Tom remarked as he stroked his hand over her bum and down her thigh.

"No need to be patronising." Sam squinted her eyes at him. "It's winter, the only person that sees my legs is you." Sam stated.  
"Oh so you don't care what _I_ think of your legs?" Tom raised his eyebrows.  
"C'mon we've both seen each other at our worst, it doesn't matter." Sam stated.  
"When have I been at my worst?"  
"When you were completely trollied when you came in one night before we were married, and you tried to force me into having sex with you because you were drunk." Sam stated sternly.  
"Oh yeah... I ended up spending the rest of that week sleeping on the sofa." Tom remembered the after effects but not the actual night. "Sorry about that by the way." He smirked. "Hang on, if you're going along the lines of not caring what I think of you, then why have you been so shy about your body for months?" He protested.

"Well I've realised that I should be happy in my own body now, that's why I thought we could spend the night together." Sam stated.  
"So from now on, you're not going to be shy anymore?"  
"Pft, me? Shy? I think you've got the wrong woman." Sam smirked.  
"Woman? You're having a laugh aren't you tomboy?" Tom joked.  
"Um, I have two things which your hands are on that prove I'm a woman." Sam argued as Tom grasped her chest.  
"These perfectly rounded breasts could be implants." Tom stated clinically.  
"I don't have male genitalia." Sam stated.  
"You could've had surgery to change that." Tom stated.  
"I've had kids. Eight of them." Sam stated.  
"Yeah, I'd say that proves you're a woman." Tom nodded.

"Great, so can we get out now because the water's getting cold and I-"  
"Hate cold baths." Tom interrupted. "I know." He stated.  
"Listen, make sure you go easy on me." Sam said awkwardly.  
"I will, I promise." Tom kissed Sam on the lips, then he leant forward and pulled the plug out. "And I would get out so that I could wrap a towel around you romantically, but there's a big lump on me." Tom joked as Sam slowly got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself.

"Y'know, I was going to do that to you, but thanks to that comment, I'm going to use your towel for my hair." Sam stated as she wrapped one towel around her body, and then wrapped the other towel in a turban on her head to keep her hair from dripping everywhere.  
"Sam!" Tom protested.  
"I'll be in the bedroom where you're ready." Sam smiled before she left the dark room. Tom huffed before he stepped onto the bath mat, and began drying himself with the tiny hand towel.

After five minutes, Tom entered the bedroom naked, where Sam was lying on the bed under the duvet, settling Ellie. Because she had been ill, Ellie had been temporarily put in a cot bed with three sides, right next to Sam's side of the bed, and Sam was holding the baby's limp hand as the infant drifted off into the land of dreams.  
"I know I said they won't know what we're doing, but do you want to pull up the fourth side just in case?" Tom suggested because the cot as literally touching their mattress and he felt the bars would give them a little more privacy. Sam nodded as she pulled up the fourth side and clicked it into position.

He noticed a condom on his bedside table and smiled.  
"Have you even started having your periods since the birth?" Tom asked curiously.  
"No, but I don't want to take any chances." Sam admitted.  
"Alright then, let the gentle magic begin." He winked as he grabbed the condom and slipped under the duvet with his naked wife.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	33. Chapter 33

**14th December**

It was Sam and Tom's one year wedding anniversary, but unfortunately, Tom had to catch up on his work as a consultant. He had just finished saying good morning to his five month old children, and was ready to leave, but unusually, Sam hadn't woken up. However, he decided to let her have a lie in, as the kids were happy in their cots, and she worked so hard so she deserved a break. He pecked her on the forehead, before he left for work.

But Sam was awake, she just didn't want him to know, because she didn't want to give anything away about their evening that she had planned. Once she heard the front door shut downstairs, she smiled as she got out of bed, and phoned Fletch.  
"_Good morning_." She heard him say cheerily.  
"Morning. He's gone so come round when you're ready."  
"_Alright, I'm just dropping the kids off at school and I'll come straight to you." Fletch stated. "Happy anniversary_." Fletch sung cheerfully.  
"Thank you." Sam smiled.  
"_Alright, see you soon_."  
"Bye." Sam put her phone on her bedside table.

"Right, let's get you lot dressed differently because Uncle Fletch doesn't know which one of you is which and if we dress you all the same, he's got no chance." Sam began as she opened one of the draws.

* * *

Fletch parked on the large driveway because he knew he'd be gone by the time Tom got home in the couple's only car. And he found that the minivan that was usually in the garage, was parked by the front door. He locked his car, and then went and knocked on the front door.  
"Come in!" He heard Sam shout so he opened the door to find the usually neat hallway filled with changing bags, baby carriers and of course, babies.  
"And what if I was a paedophile or a robber? Just come in whenever you want!" Fletch joked as he closed the front door behind him.  
"I just walked through the living room and I saw your car on the driveway." Sam stated.  
"Oops." Fletch muttered. "Right let me guess who's who then. I'm going to get them all right one day." He stated whilst Sam strapped the last of the babies in their car seat.  
"Yeah, probably when they've all grown up and changed completely." Sam stated.

"Right, this little one is Ellie because she's being clingy as usual." Fletch stated as he pointed to the girl with the pink blanket who was reaching her arms out towards Sam.  
"Yep." Sam nodded.  
"And Leah's got the freckle so... That's Leah."  
"Correct."  
"And these two girls look exactly the same as Leah, so one of them is summer and one of them is Megan... And... This ones summer?" He questioned.  
"Nope. Oh wait actually... Um, yeah no sorry that is summer." Sam concluded.  
"Which means you're Megan. You're the fifth girl so you must be Bella, and out of the three boys... Charlie's got the chubbiest cheeks, so this is him, and this is Aaron and this is Jonny." Fletch pointed around the hallway.

"Everyone was right, except you got Jonny and Aaron the wrong way around." Sam stated.  
"Ah but I'm getting better." Fletch said smugly. "Right, what's the plan of action today?"  
"Um, take these lot to the high street. If you could wait with the minivan with these lot, I'll run to the market - and I'll probably have to take Ellie with me becuase she won't stop crying if i leave her - and get what I need for dinner. And then I'll just pop into an arts and crafts shop to get some paints and things because I want them to scribble in a card for Tom and I'll come back to the minivan. And I could do with going to the supermarket to do a big shop becuase we haven't got much at home but... I'm not sure how that's going to work." She admitted.

"Why don't we both go in, we can carry one baby each in a sling, get two trolleys and put three in each of the trolley seats at the front?" Fletch suggested. "They're only five months old, you'll fit three of them in two seats." He stated.  
"You sure?" Sam queried.  
"Yeah. Just bring some extra blankets to lay in the seats because they're not very comfy for younger babies." Fletch warned.  
"Yeah, I've got plenty of blankets in the changing bags." Sam stated.  
"Right, shall we start loading the class up then?" He joked.  
"Yep. But leave a gap between each of them. There's sixteen seats in the minivan so there enough room and the last thing I want for one of them to get their hands stuck between the car seats seeing as everyone here like to get their hands on whatever they can touch." Sam said loudly to her children as Fletch picked up Aaron's carrier and Sam grabbed another. "Make sure Ellie gets put in the seat behind me." Sam ordered.

* * *

"I don't understand, why is she so clingy? Everyone else is alright, I mean Bella's a bit clingy sometimes too but Ellie can't stand being away from me." Sam stated as she little girl was making small sounds of distress. Sam was driving the minivan with her children strapped in the back dotted around the white minivan whilst Fletch had his arm over the back of his seat, trying to calm the girl down.  
"Wait, keep talking, I think that'll settle her a bit." Fletch suggested.  
"And say what?"  
"Um... You and Tom thinking of having any more children?" Fletch joked.  
"Not in his wildest dreams." Sam remarked.  
"What, so if you did accidentally fall pregnant you'd not keep it?" Fletch queried.  
"Well when you put it like that." Sam began. "I mean, I wouldn't know unless I was in that position, but I know that Tom would be a definite no against abortion, so if it did happen, I'd probably go through with it because it'd be as much his child as it would be mine." Sam admitted. "Unless of course it was octuplets again, in which case I might just have a nervous breakdown." Sam joked.  
"Yeah, she's settling when she hears your voice." Fletch smiled as she tickled Ellie's cheek. "So what are you and Tom actually doing tonight? And don't give me the sexual details please." He smirked.

"No, nothing like that." Sam protested. "I'm making Tom's favourite dinner, and his favourite pudding, all being washed down by a beer or two. And I'm going to try to get the kids to scribble in a big card in a different colour each, and maybe do some hand prints in paint or something. And although he'll never admit it, he loves it when the kids sleep in our bed so I was wondering if you'd help me bring down the mattress and another single mattress that we've got and put them in the living room in front of the TV. I'll put on a DVD and we can get comfy with pillows and blankets, and we can have all eight of them on the bed with us." Sam explained.

"Wow, that sounds like a really good idea." Fletch admitted. "In fact, it's my anniversary coming up soon, can I borrow your kids?" He joked and Sam smiled to herself. "What DVD are you watching - and I hope it's PG or less." He joked.  
"Um, I haven't decided yet. I was going to get a few in tescos, probably disney films or something. I loved the jungle book when I was younger, so I might get that... You don't think I should dress up do you?"  
"Depends what you mean by dress up." Fletch stated confusedly.  
"Well, wear a dress or something rather than what I'm wearing." Sam replied and Fletch looked at her skinny jeans she was wearing with her light blue, long sleeved, buttoned shirt which made breastfeeding easy.

"No, course not. You're having a night in, and anyway when you settle down in the living room you're probably going to be in your pyjamas anyway. What you're wearing is fine." Fletch stated reassuringly. "It's what you're wearing underneath your clothes that matters." He joked.  
"I've already told you, the kids are going to be in bed with us. We're not doing anything that your sick mind in conjuring up." Sam remarked.

"Well seeing as you're insulting me, you won't want to know the secret to a long marriage will you?"  
"Let me guess, don't have an affair?" Sam joked.  
"Ouch, that hurt. But I'm gonna tell you anyway becuase it's funny: the key to a successful marriage, is to keep the fights clean and the sex dirty." Fletch stated.  
"Sssh, I've told Tom off for saying rude things in front of them, so you can't either!" Sam protested.  
"That isn't rude!"  
"It is!"  
"What, so the 'S' word is rude is it?"  
"Not necessarily. But if you combine the 'S' word with the word dirty, then yes it is rude." Sam stated sternly.

* * *

Sam had pulled up in the large car park near the high street, and got out and opened the side door to the back of the minivan.  
"Right, stop crying, I'm still here." Sam ordered as she picked Ellie out of her carrier and held her against her chest. The little girl immediately settled as she used her hands to hold onto her mother's breast. "What would you do if I had a double mastectomy? You wouldn't be happy then would you?" Sam joked half heartedly as she opened one of the changing bags and pulled out a light blue baby sling to match her top. "I actually can't believe in wearing this." She admitted as she pulled it on and secured Ellie close to her chest.  
"No, neither can I." Fletch had to stifle a laugh. "But I do have to admit, you look absolutely adorable." He smirked as he reached in and tickled Ellie's cheek.

"Right," Sam began as she pulled her handbag onto her shoulder.  
"There's a few bottles of milk in the changing bag but they shouldn't need feeding until later. There's nappies, toys, blankets etc in there as well. And if you can't settle them just give me a call, I won't be far away and hopefully I wont be too long anyway." Sam explained as she repositioned Ellie, and then pulled her shirt down properly.

"Okay, go on go. We'll be fine." Fletch said.  
"And can you shut this door? just in case." Sam asked timidly as she looked around the car park that was scattered with cars, just to survey the area.  
"I'm sure nothing is going to happen, but if that's what you want, sure." Fletch nodded. He pulled the door shut, and then squatted in front of Aaron to say hello, so Sam smiled before she made her way to the Christmassy high street.

Sam was walking freely, hoping that Fletch was fine with the kids, when she felt something tugging in her chest, and sure enough, as she looked down, she saw that in the sling, Ellie was tugging at her mummy's shirt becuase she was obviously trying to breastfeed.  
"Oi, you've already been fed literally about 45 minutes ago." Sam stated but the tugging didn't stop. "Right, the sooner you and your siblings start solids, the better." Sam stated as she discreetly undid the top button of her shirt, and pulled it aside. She knew public breastfeeding was allowed, she just wasn't comfortable with strangers seeing her breasts so she ensured that everything was covered, whilst she managed to get Ellie latched on, all whilst she continued walking which she found an achievement.

* * *

After a little bit more walking, she reached the butchers stall in the market down the high street that she knew sold really nice meat and it was from local farms too. The high street was bustling despite it being midweek, and there were christmas decorations everywhere because it was mid December.  
"What can I get you darling?" A man asked cheerily from behind the counter with his remarkably apron and hat on.  
"Um... Two of those thin gammon steaks, and two beef fillet steaks please." Sam replied - she knew they'd be stuffed by the end of the night, but it was their anniversary and they deserved a treat so Sam was cooking Tom's favourite meal - a well done beef steak, a gammon steak, two fried eggs and thick cut chips. They rarely had it because it was such an unhealthy dinner, but when they did have it, they enjoyed every morsel.  
"That's £18.50 please." He stated and Sam handed over the money before she received the red and white striped bag.  
"Thanks." Sam smiled before she walked away, and thankfully, Ellie was being silent now that she was suckling. Although Sam felt slightly stupid wearing a baby sling, she did like the feeling of her daughter being held across her chest as they were keeping each other warm - Sam hadn't realised how harsh the winds were. Thankfully, the arts and crafts shop that she needed to go to next was in the shopping centre. She took a while looking around at child friendly paints and pens, until she had got a selection and paid, but just as she was about to exit the shop with two bags in one hand, and other arm wrapped around her baby's sling, she bumped into Robyn and Rita.  
"Sam!" Robyn squealed.  
"Hiya." Rita smiled.  
"Hi." Sam forced a smile, as she just wanted to get back to her children.  
"Doing a bit of christmas shopping are we?" Robyn asked cheerfully. "God, it's got to cost a lot buying prezzies for eight babies hasn't it?"  
"We can manage." Sam stated. "Listen I-"  
"Who's this one?" Robyn asked eagerly.  
"Let Sam get a word in Robyn." Rita smirked.  
"It's Ellie, but she's feeding so..." Sam trailed off as she pulled up the sling slightly to make sure she was covered.  
"Oh right, sorry." Robyn apologised.  
"C'mon, let the poor woman get on, I'm sure you've got lots to do." Rita said to save Sam, and in truth, she was grateful.  
"Yep, I'd best get on." Sam stated.  
"Alright, bye!" Robyn waved as Sam quickly made her way to the exit of the shopping centre, and then she moved even quicker to escape the harsh winds and got into the back of the minivan where Fletch was sitting with Bella, Megan and Summer, on his lap with a little fluffy toy bunny entertaining them.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Fletch queried.  
"Yep. And this one got more than I bargained for." Sam stated as she gestured the baby.  
"What?" Fletch said confusedly as he began to put the infants in their car seats.  
"She's feeding." Sam stated as she placed the shopping bags down. "C'mon, you've definitely had enough by now." Sam said softly as she teased Ellie off of her breast, and then she clipped her bra back together and buttoned up her shirt. "There we go, good girl." Sam said as she took the warm little girl out of the sling and strapped her into the car seat, by which time, Fletch had already strapped the others in and jumped in the passenger seat in the front again.

Fletch watched as Sam went around and checked everyone's straps before she jumped in the drivers seat.  
"Sorry, I do trust you it's just... I wanted to make sure." Sam apologised as she started the engine.  
"Don't be, I'd do exactly the same. I even check when Natalie's strapped the kids in." Fletch stated reassuringly. "And good job on feeding Ellie, she's drifting off with a tummy full of milk." Fletch said softly as the little girl's eyes slowly closed.  
"Thank god!" Sam said quietly and fletch laughed as they began the short journey to the supermarket.

* * *

"Right, I don't have a clue how this is going to work." Sam stated as Fletch arrived at the minivan with two large trollies.  
"Simple. Three of them can sit on the chair in each trolley, and we'll have one in a sling each." Fletch stated as he unfolded the chairs that we designed to hold two children, though because Sam's children were only five months old, and fairly small for their age, they were sure they could fit three in. Fletch got out some blankets and laid them in the chairs to give them a little extra padding before he got out a second baby sling and pulled it on. "Wow, this brings back memories." He smirked. "Right, c'mon you choose. Who do you want to have in your sling? Ellie?"  
"No, I've held her more than the others today. She can go in my trolley, and I'll have Bella in the sling." Sam stated.  
"Right, you can sit there. Good girl, you stay there for me." Fletch said as he placed Ellie in the left side of one trolley's seat, and then helped Sam to bury Bella in her sling. "Who do you want me to put in my sling?"

"Um... Leah. And then I'll have Summer and Megan in my trolley, and you can have the three boys in your trolley." Sam concluded.  
"There, was that so hard?" Fletch said sarcastically as they began to organise the babies, and soon enough, they headed over to the store hand Fletch followed Sam as she began to fill up the trollies. He felt awkward as he knew that they were heading to the toiletries aisle but nevertheless he pushed the trolley whilst entertaining the children with a mirror that wouldn't break as they looked fascinated by their own reflections. However, Leah was fast asleep in the sling as she buried her face in Fletch's chest. "Sam, Charlie just gave Jonny a big slobbery kiss." Fletch laughed and Sam smirked before she stopped down the aisle.

"If you ever mention this again." Sam threatened as she picked up some incontinence pads and put them in the trolley under the bulk packets of nappies.  
"I won't." Fletch stated. "As long as Tom knows you've got _those_ sorts of problems. Right?" He queried which received a glare.  
"Yes he knows now shut it." Sam ordered sternly. "And keep the trolley away from the shelves because these lot keep on trying to grab things." Sam stated as she took a small box of tampons off of Summer.  
"Pft, maybe she's just an early developer." Fletch joked.  
"Um, well he's certainly an early developer." Sam remarked as she pointed to Charlie who had picked a small box of condoms off of the shelves.

"Ooh, tropical flavoured ones. Good choice mate." Fletch joked as he took the box off of him and then put it on the shelf again.  
"Shall we get out of this aisle before they pick anything else up?" Sam suggested.  
"Good idea." Fletch nodded before he followed Sam towards the fruit and veg. "Here, do you want to know my top secret to getting my kids to sleep through at four months?" Fletch queried.

"Well these are five months old, but go ahead." Sam raised her eyebrows as she was sure he was going to come out with an old wives tale.  
"Purée about half of a small banana with a couple of teaspoons of breast milk per baby, and feed it to them just before you put them to bed. It'll keep them full for longer than milk will, so they won't wake up hungry in the night, and banana is a great way to start them on solids." Fletch explained. "And if they've got teething pain, make the mixture and put it in the fridge for a few hours before hand, then when they eat it cold, it'll help to soothe their gums."

"What would I do without you?" Sam smiled as she picked up two ripe bunches of yellow bananas and put them in her trolley.

* * *

"Right, I think it's time for me to go." Fletch announced. After going shopping, Fletch had helped Sam to set up the living room with their double mattress and a single mattress on the floor, covered in blankets, duvets and pillows and everything was ready for Tom to get back from work. He had also helped her to get then children to decorate a card for Tom to celebrate their anniversary and that had tired the babies out so they had gone upstairs in their cots to have a late afternoon nap.  
"Yep. Thanks for everything Fletch. I really appreciate it." Sam said gratefully.  
"No problem. It was my pleasure to look after the octuplets whilst their terrible mother went shopping." Fletch mocked the press and Sam smiled to herself. "Right, I hope all goes well, and don't forget, keep it PG for the little ones." Fletch winked before he left the house and closed the door behind him.

"Right, let's start with making dessert." Sam said to herself as she carried the baby monitor with her and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

**5:30pm**  
Tom entered his house after a long day at work, and immediately smelt the enticing aromas of dinner. He followed his nose to the kitchen, but it was empty, so he then followed his ear as he heard various beeps and babbles, and he found in the adjoined dining room with an table for ten, all eight of his is children were on play gym mats on the floor. And because there was eight different ones, they never got bored of them. Some were themed of jungles, others were musical themed - and Ellie was giggling away as she kicked her feet against the toy piano at the bottom of her play gym.

Sam was lying on the floor on her stomach watching them all amuse themselves when she looked up to see Tom standing with a big bunch of red roses and a bottle of champagne.  
"Happy anniversary." He smiled.  
"Happy anniversary indeed." Sam smiled as she quickly got up, hopped over her children and then gave her husband a hug. "I don't mean to ruin the moment but you do realise the last time that I had champagne was at our engagement party and I hated it." Sam stated. "Not to mention I'm breastfeeding." She added as she nodded to the bottle of champagne.  
"I know. That's why it's nonalcoholic, and it's apple flavoured." Tom said smugly before he kissed Sam on the lips.  
"So posh fizzy apple juice." Sam concluded and Tom nodded happily. "Thank you, they're lovely." She said as she took the bunch of roses and took a smell of the deep red petals.

"What's for dinner?" Tom asked curiously.  
"Your favourite." Sam stated.  
"What? Heart attack on a plate?" He queried and Sam nodded. "And that's why I married you." Tom sung before he kissed her again.

"And we've got peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake that actually went as planned." Sam stated.  
"What? With Reese's peanut butter cups?"  
"Of course." Sam nodded. "Right, you take a seat, keep an eye on the kids and I'll just go and finish off dinner." Sam ordered before she spun on her heel and took the tall step up to the open plan kitchen.

* * *

"Y'know, I sometimes think that those play gyms entertain you more than them." Sam stated as she laid the two large plates on the dinner table on two settings opposite each other. Tom jumped up and sat opposite his wife before he eyed up the plate containing a succulent gammon steak, a perfectly seasoned, well done steak, thick cut homemade chips and two fried eggs.  
"Thank you, this is brilliant." Tom smiled.  
"You're welcome. Although I still think you're the only person on the planet that likes their fried eggs with a hard yolk." Sam stated as she began digging in to her well earned meal.  
"Runny yolks just mess up the plate." Tom protested and Sam chuckled to herself.

* * *

"Now, before I serve pudding, I've got a surprise." Sam stated.  
"That sounds ominous." Tom smirked as Sam disappeared into the living room and then returned with a large A3 card. "Why are you keeping the living room door closed?" Tom queried.  
"You'll see soon." Sam smiled as she handed Tom the card. He read the front, before he opened it to find 16 handprints dotted around in different colours of paint, and then various squiggles of thick markers and crayons in different colours.  
"Aw, I bet this made a lot of mess." Tom smiled as he placed his hand on of top of one of the handprints, and his was humongous compared to his children's ones.

"Just a bit." Sam admitted sheepishly as she looked at the card over his shoulder. "I did it in age and rainbow order so everything is red was Aaron, orange was Jonny, yellow was Charlie, green was Leah, blue was Megan, pink was summer, purple was Bella and gold was Ellie." Sam explained.  
"Thank you, this is amazing." Tom said as he twisted his neck and pecked Sam on the cheek.  
"I had nothing to do with it, Aaron was in charge." Sam joked innocently. "Now, we'd better have dessert because they're going to get tired of the play gyms soon." Sam stated before she skipped into the kitchen, but remained in Tom's view.  
"Why? What are we doing after we've eaten?" He queried.  
"You'll see." Sam replied. "But don't go getting your hopes up of anything dirty, because it involves the kids." She said sternly before she went and sat opposite Tom, and place a plate with a slice of his dream dessert on. "Oreo and cream biscuit bottom, then peanut butter cheesecake, then a thin layer of chocolate fudge buttercream on top, drizzled with peanut butter icing and topped off with Reese's peanut butter cups." Sam explained and Tom's jaw hit the floor.

"I'm in heaven." He whispered.  
"Heaven doesn't exist." Sam squinted her eyes at him.  
"No but as an atheist myself, there are somethings that make me question my beliefs."  
"What? Like a peanut butter cheesecake?" Sam smirked.  
"_Exactly_ like a peanut butter cheesecake." Tom repeated before he shovelled a full spoonful into his mouth causing Sam to laugh at her husband.

* * *

Tom had just finished helping Sam to clean up the kitchen so he waited for further instruction as she appeared to have the evening planned out.  
"Right, go upstairs and get changed into your pyjamas." Sam ordered.  
"You mean my boxers?" He smirked.  
"No, just go and put a pair of tracksuits and a shirt or something. Go on." Sam ordered and Tom gave her a questioning look before he headed upstairs.

* * *

Tom found that the dining room and kitchen was in pitch darkness, so he opened the door to the living room to find it all set up for a cosy night. There were the mattresses on the floor with blankets and cushions, there was a DVD set up on the TV, and his babies were scattered about, and most were propped up on the cushions. Sam was lying down and leaning against the sofa with Ellie between her legs climbing about, and she was wearing her thick winter pyjamas with Tom's grey hoodie on top.  
"I do believe that that's my hoodie." Tom stated as he closed the door behind him, then went and sat next to his wife, though he had to be careful not to tread on any of his kids.  
"Mm, but I washed and ironed it. So I'm wearing it." Sam stated.  
"So I take it we're sleeping down here tonight?"  
"Yep, and these lot are sleeping with us." Sam stated. "And to settle them down, we're going to try and feed them mashed up banana mixed with a little bit of milk, so hopefully they won't wake up in the night."  
"Their first solid food." Tom smiled as he noticed the eight small pots on the table with eight coloured plastic spoons.

"And before you argue, you're feeding the boys." Sam stated sternly.  
"That's not fair, you know they're going to be fussy." Tom argued.  
"Not necessarily." Sam smirked. "And it's perfectly fair because I'm feeding five and you're feeding three. C'mon, let's just start the movie, see how it goes, and keep things quiet, otherwise this lot will be too stimulated to sleep." Sam stated as she pressed play on the remote.

* * *

The credits began rolling so Sam slowly reached across and switched the TV off. She had her head resting on Tom's chest, Ellie sleeping between her legs wrapped in a blanket, Megan and Summer were on her chest fast asleep and Leah was tucked under Sam's arm. Whilst Tom had Charlie between his legs, resting his head on Tom's crotch, Jonny and Aaron on his chest, and Bella besides his head on his pillow, all of whom were fast asleep with a tummy filled with milk and banana.  
"Have you seen Charlie?" Tom whispered. Sam adjusted her head slightly and saw the little boy as his chest slowly rose and fell, but they were both amused at the positioning of his head on Tom's lap. "Y'know, I remember you've been in a similar position before, only you were facing downwards and your mouth was opened with my-"  
"Stop right there." Sam ordered but she couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Happy anniversary sweetheart." Tom whispered as he kissed Sam on the top of her head.  
"Happy anniversary daddy." Sam whispered in reply as she let her eyelids close, and she and her husband fell into a slumber just like their babies.

* * *

**6am**  
Sam awoke to heard soft, gentle cries, and it appeared to be coming from Bella who had some how crawled across in the night and ended up sleeping partially on Tom's face, with her head leaning against Sam's head.  
"Hey, sshh." Sam whispered as she turned her head so she made eye contact. "Did you sleep all night long? Good girl." Sam cooed quietly. "I think we ought to give you banana every night eh?" Sam smiled and Bella mimicked her mother as she smiled back showing off her gums with the smallest tip of a tooth beginning to show. "Right, first come first served so I'd better feed you before the others wake up." Sam whispered as she gently picked up Bella and held her against her chest - Megan and Summer had spent the night besides their mum after Sam had gotten a little uncomfortable and had to move them. She slipped her top down, and Bella quickly began suckling for her breakfast and Sam relaxed, until she heard the stirrings of another baby that she recognised to be Ellie's noises. So she reached down, and pulled Ellie up onto her chest so that she could receive her morning milk too.

Tom groaned as he stretched slightly - having babies on him all night had made him a little achy, but the thought of having contact with them all that time was worth it.  
"What's the time?" He whispered. Sam peered across the fairly dark room to look at the digital clock on the table.  
"Just gone past six." Sam replied.  
"I didn't hear anyone wake in the night." Tom admitted.  
"No, neither did I. I mean, they went to bed about 11pm, and they've woken up early, but seven hours of solid sleep is really good." Sam said proudly.  
"Good idea about the bananas." Tom said as he stretched his arm and wrapped it around Sam's shoulders whilst they both watched two of their children feed.

"It was Fletch's idea actually. He helped me do the shopping yesterday." Sam admitted quietly.  
"Oh right. Well I suppose I can thank him when I go to work today." Tom huffed. "Oh wait no, sorry. I forgot, I'm on a three week long extended christmas holiday!" Tom announced happily and Sam just smirked.  
"You sound like a child that's just broken up for the summer holidays." Sam stated.  
"Well, since the birth, I've only seen my children in the mornings and the evenings. Now, I've got three weeks to learn how to name these lot without any hints by what they're wearing, and I've got three weeks to get to know my beautiful children." Tom smiled as he picked up Charlie from between his legs and held him above his face.

However, Tom just received a grumpy face.  
"I do believe you've just woken the little man who isn't a morning person." Sam smirked.  
"Right, lesson number one: Charlie isn't a morning person." Tom stated as he put the poor boy back down to rest.

**Thanks for reading this extremely long chapter! Please review, the next chapter will be the octuplets' first christmas :)**


	34. Chapter 34

**24th December 2014**

At five months old, it was going to be the octuplets' first christmas, and thankfully Tom would be at home so they could spend it together as a family. Sam was having an early run in the home gym at 7am, when Tom entered - dressed in only his boxers - the large open and airy room with a distressed Ellie balanced on his hip. As soon as the infant in a pink baby grow with her brown wavy hair sticking up in all directions saw her mother, she reached her arms out towards her so Sam had to step off the treadmill and take the girl into her own arms as she caught her breath back.

"She didn't like waking up without any sign of you." Tom said sleepily as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Why are you so dependent on me eh?" Sam sighed as she bounced the infant on her hip to calm her down. "Daddy can give you everything that I can." She added.

"Sorry to disturb your morning run." Tom apologised.

"No worries. I was going to stop soon anyway; I feel a bit off." Sam admitted.

"Oh trust you to get ill on christmas." Tom moaned.

"And trust you to think that's the end of the world, you big kid." Sam retorted.

* * *

**7pm**

Sam and Tom were sitting in the living room on the sofa feeding Summer and Megan their only solid meal all day - mashed up banana mixed with milk. They were the last to be fed, as the other six had already been put to sleep upstairs.

"Can you keep an eye on Megan for a minute please?" Sam asked as she held the pot of mush towards her husband, and Megan's eyes followed the pot as she reached out for it.

"Yeah sure. You alright?" Tom asked as he took the pot. He watched as Sam placed a hand on her lower abdomen as she stood up.

"Fine. I'll be back in a minute." Sam replied before she left the room and went into the small family bathroom under the staircase. She didn't feel well at all as she sat down on the toilet, but as she leant forward in an attempt to relieve her discomfort, she realised the cause of it - there was bright red blood in her grey pyjama bottoms.

She hadn't had a period in over 12 months because the octuplets had been conceived on their wedding night, and of all days, it had returned on Christmas Eve. She cleaned herself up as best as she could, and then put a small wad of toilet tissue between her legs, before she flushed the toilet, washed her hands and quickly but quietly made her way upstairs.

* * *

Tom had been waiting for Sam to return for five minutes as he fed both babies their evening supper whilst the white lights on the christmas tree besides him slowly light up, and then darkened to make the room feel warmer. There were plenty of presents under the tree that had over flowed onto the rug. Most of which were for the octuplets from their parents, and some from Fletch. But Tom had added Sam's presents and hidden them at the back, and Sam had hidden Tom's presents at the side of the pile.

Finally he heard her slowly come down stairs, but she didn't enter the living room. He heard her go into the kitchen, and then he heard the creasing of foil followed by two pops as it appeared she was taking tablets. A few moments later, she reappeared wearing different, darker pyjama bottoms and a dark blue hoodie that covered her bum and she forced a smile as she slowly sat back down on the sofa and then took Megan's pot of food back.

"Are you alright?" Tom asked concernedly.

"Fine." Sam muttered as she took Megan back in her lap and began feeding the confused girl once again.

"Have you got an upset stomach? You said you weren't feeling well earlier and you were in the toilet a while." He said softly As he knew that if she was ill, she'd be ashamed to admit it.

"I'm fine. I just... I've started my period again, so what we were planning for tomorrow night... We'll have to leave it." Sam replied awkwardly.

"Oh right, don't worry about tomorrow then, we'll have more time with this lot... Have you got a stomach ache?" Tom asked kindly.

"Ive taken ibuprofen." Sam replied clinically but Tom saw right through her. She watched as Tom reached behind him whilst juggling Leah in his arms, and he pulled a wrapped present from under the tree.

"It's from the kids, go on. Have an early present." He smiled.

"No thanks. I'll wait until tomorrow." Sam replied.

"Sam, either you open it, or I'll open it for you." Tom ordered so she reluctantly took the present and opened it to find a hot water bottle with a cream coloured knitted cover of blue and pink hearts, and in the middle, it said 'Mummy'. "It was intended for when you get cold at night, but I suppose now it'll help even more." Tom smiled as he got up, sat Leah next to her mum and then headed to the kitchen to full it up.

"Thank you." Sam said gratefully.

"Don't thank me. I told you, it's from the kids. You want a hot chocolate before we go to bed too?" He queried.

"No thanks. Otherwise I'll be up all night weeing." Sam joked halfheartedly, and a few minutes later, Tom returned with her hot water bottle. "Thanks." She smiled as she took it and hugged it against her abdomen.

"Right, are you two filled up and ready for bed?" Tom smiled as he picked up Megan and Summer and balanced them on his hips. "We'd best get you up to bed otherwise Santa won't come."

"Are we really going to make them believe in Santa?" Sam huffed.

"Yeah, course we are. I was never told about him and I hated it, so I want our lot to know." Tom stated.

"What do you mean you were never told about Santa?"

"Come on, I'll tell you in bed." Tom said softly and he sympathised for his wife as he watched her grimace whilst she stood up. Slowly, she began to make her way upstairs so Tom used his elbow to switch the lights off, before he headed back upstairs.

* * *

It was Charlie, Jonny and Aaron's turn to sleep in Sam and Tom's bed that night, so the other babies were asleep, and Sam and Tom were in bed with the three boys in between them.

"So why weren't you told about Santa?" Sam queried as she gently stroked Aaron's soft, light brown hair.

"Well, y'know I was put in care, that was when I was 3 or 4. Then I went to an emergency adoption family because mum had died and dad was in trouble with the police, but they didn't know if my dad would be arrested so I was with a family temporarily. Then when my dad was arrested and sentenced a couple of weeks later, they moved me into a children's care home, and... Well I just never really picked it up I suppose. Everyone else in the home was older than me, and they all knew that Santa didn't exist." Tom explained quietly.

"How did your mum..." Sam trailed off curiously, but she stopped in case it upset him.

"I can't really remember to be honest... They told me she'd had an accident, and bled to death but I don't know what kind of accident... But I've always assumed it was a car accident." Tom admitted.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Anyway, c'mon it's Christmas Eve you need to get some sleep, because I have got plenty of games and activities planned for tomorrow." Tom ordered as he got a little comfier under the duvet, checked that his sons were well away from being under the duvet, and then switched the light off.

"Night night." Sam whispered as she hugged the hot water bottle against her abdomen.

"Goodnight." Tom replied softly, before the family fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**25th December 2014**

Sam awoke to a dull ache in her lower abdomen, but she felt far better than the previous night. Thankfully, her children had slept through the night as usual, and she smiled to herself as she realised that in a few years, her children would not sleep all night because they would be too excited about Santa delivering presents.

"Merry Christmas!" Tom smiled as he entered the bedroom with a tray, and he pressed play on his iPhone to began playing 'All I want for christmas is you.'

"Merry christmas." Sam repeated as she slowly sat up and leant against the bed headboard. She had Charlie, Jonny and Aaron still besides her in the bed but they were fast asleep. Tom placed the tray on Sam's lap before knelt down on the carpet besides her because his sons were on the bed and he didn't want to disturb them. There were two glasses of orange juice, and two plates of French cinnamon toast made with brioche and dusted with icing sugar to make it sweet. "Mm, this smells lovely." Sam smiled as she picked up a slice and took a small bite of it.

"That's because it was made with love." Tom joked halfheartedly. "You feeling alright this morning?" He queried as he took the hot water bottle off of the tray that he had refilled, and then tucked it in the duvet against her stomach.

"Bit sore, but I'll have some more ibuprofen after I've eaten, and I'll be fine." Sam replied.

"Right well I think we should finish eating, then take a shower together. And once I've dressed the children into something festive, we can take them down to open presents." Tom smiled.

"A shower? Together?" Sam moaned.

"Oi, we showered together after your c section and you were bleeding a lot more then so don't go all shy on me now. I'll give you a few minutes in there first by yourself." Tom stated kindly.

"Fine." Sam rolled her eyes, but she had to admit, she looked forward to the intimate encounter. "I'm still worried about the 'festive gear' that you've got for the kids to wear." Sam admitted as she hadn't been allowed to see what he had bought for them.

"Trust me, they'll look adorable." Tom smiled. They soon finished their breakfast, and then they put the sleepy boys back in their cot before they went into the ensuite bathroom to have a shower together.

"Leave the door open, just in case they wake up." Sam ordered as she opened the bathroom door.

"Alright. I'll grab two towels from the airing cupboard for us if you want to hop in." Tom offered as he left the room and Sam nodded before she stripped from her pyjamas, put her used pad in the small bathroom bin and jumped in the shower. After a few minutes, her husband joined her in the shower and he wrapped his arms around her as they stood under the stream of warm water. Tom washed his hair, before he lovingly washed and conditioned Sam's for her, and they both lathered up in shower gel before rinsing off together.

They were enjoying each other's company under the stream of water, when they began to hear little hiccups, followed by crying. Sam went to dart from the shower but Tom blocked her exit.

"Sam, Ellie's got to get used to being without you for a little while." Tom said softly yet sternly.

"But-"

"No, c'mon just leave her and see if she settles." Tom said as he wrapped his arms around her back and eyed up her body. As the crying escalated, both Sam and Tom noticed the droplets of white liquid forming around Sam's nipples before they dropped into the shower basin, and she knew she was leaking becuase of her baby's distressing cries.

"Tom, I can't leave her." Sam mumbled as she tried to escape but Tom was still in her way.

"She needs to learn. What's she going to be like when you return to work?"

"Tom... Please..." Sam begged as she looked up without tilting her head and gave her husband sad puppy dog eyes.

"Go on then." Tom sighed and Sam literally leapt out of the shower without even bothering drying herself as she jogged into the bedroom, quickly undressed Ellie and took her nappy off, and then got back into the shower with Ellie against her chest. "She's already got you wrapped around her little finger." Tom stated as he shook his head in disbelief that _The_ Sam Kent was being so maternal.

"Tom, she's a baby who can't talk or do anything by herself. You and I are the only people in the entire world that she trusts, I can't just let her cry by herself. She was probably worried that we wouldn't come back." Sam said quietly as she bounced Ellie on her hip.

"Yes and I understand that, but what makes me laugh, is that Ellie is the only one who's like this, Bella is a little bit clingy, but the others are fine." Tom stated as he brushed his thumb against the little girl's cheek.

"Well they're all developing at different rates, I'm sure the others are going to go through a clingy period as well." Sam stated as she held Ellie tightly against her skin, and then cupped some water and let it trickle over her head.

"Just to make it clear, this is not a regular occurrence. Mummy and daddy shower together, it's not mummy, daddy and Ellie's shower time, just ours." Tom said sternly to Ellie who just giggled before she looked up at her mother. "Great, I can already tell she's not going to listen to me when she's older." Tom concluded and Sam couldn't help but smile.

"Do you blame her?" Sam joked.

"Trust me, I shall get my revenge when she's older. I'll embarrass her in front of her boyfriends, I'll call her my little princess until she's taller than me. Which will hopefully be never." Tom stated.

"Mm. She likes the shower."

"Were you even listening to me?" Tom moaned.

"Nope." Sam smiled. "Seriously look, she loves it." Sam stated as the little girl giggled because the water on her back was tickling her.

"I've already said, showering with her is not going to be a regular occurrence." Tom said sternly.

"We'll see." Sam smirked.

* * *

"Right, you ready?" Tom shouted. Sam was sitting impatiently in the living room in a festive jumper, leggings and thick socks on the carpet, waiting for Tom to unveil what he had dressed his children in for Christmas Day.

"I've been ready for half an hour Tom." Sam complained.

"Right, cue the music." Tom ordered. Sam rolled her eyes before she pressed play on Tom's phone where he had set up a christmas playlist. "And here comes Mr and Mr Claus." Tom announced as he entered the warm living room with Aaron and Leah dressed up in red costumes with everything from santa's belt and little black booties to Mrs Claus' little red fleecy dress with thick white tights underneath to keep her warm. Tom carried the pair in and sat them on the three seater sofa so that they were propped up, as they had planned to keep them there so they were safe.

"God, what has daddy done to you?!" Sam laughed as she shuffled along the carpet and sat directly in front of them.

"And before you ask, there wasn't any favouritism, these costumes were given to the oldest female and male." Tom stated. "Right, you three stay here, I'll go and get the next two." Tom smiled before he ran up the stairs. A few minutes later, he returned. "Here is Jonny the snowman, and Charlie the gingerbread man!" Tom announced as he entered and Sam cupped her hands over her mouth in shock as he brought Jonny who was in a fluffy white baby grow with the scarf and black hat and Charlie who was in a light brown coloured baby grow with gum drop buttons and a matching little beanie hat.

"Tom!" Sam laughed.

"What?! Oh c'mon, this is cute!" Tom protested as he sat the two on the sofa besides their siblings.

"Yeah but it's borderline child cruelty." Sam laughed.

"You wait and see what I've done to Ellie." Tom joked.

"Tom." Sam warned sternly.

"Don't worry, it's nothing sinister." Tom smirked but before Sam could continue, he quickly ran back upstairs. Sam sat watching her children occupy themselves by playing with their costumes, when Tom came back down. "Right, Summer the stocking, Megan the christmas pudding and Bella the reindeer!" Tom announced cheerily as he came down with the three girls in his arms facing outwards so Sam could see their happy faces.

"And what have you done with Ellie?" Sam questioned as he put those three on the sofa in a row, leaving a little gap on the end for the eighth child.

"Ah, I've saved the best for last." Tom stated before he disappeared upstairs.

"I bet he's wrapped her up in wrapping paper." Sam said quietly to her children as she tried to listen to what he was doing up there. After a few more minutes, she heard him creep down the stairs.

"Right, say hello, to Ellie the elf." Tom smiled as he came in with Ellie who had red and white striped tights on, with a green felt button up coat and a matching green hat. Sam burst out into a giggle as Tom placed her on the end of the sofa next to her siblings. "Well they've certainly cheered you up." Tom said smugly.

"Who said I needed cheering up?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Me, because you were rather grumpy yesterday." Tom replied as he sat in front of Sam on the carpet.

"Well, that's becuase I didn't feel right." Sam protested weakly.

"And now we know why so we can forget about it." Tom concluded. "Right, I think you should open your presents first."

"Why?" Sam queried, though she wasn't actually aware that she had presents because she had told Tom not to go spending loads of money on her.

"Because then if I've got any seriously wrong presents, you'll have forgotten them by lunchtime." Tom remarked cheekily.

"Oh, will I now?" Sam laughed.

Sam had opened her presents that were from Tom (and he had said from their children as well) and she had received a thick onesie, a new christmas jumper, a couple of new buttoned shirts which made breastfeeding easy, a new handbag big enough to contain bottles and nappies, a photo album of the octuplets since birth including many photos from NICU, and grey cardigan style, three button ugg boots that Tom had gotten for her to wear indoors to keep her feet warm.

Tom had received a few CDs that he had indiscreetly hinted at, along with a few jumpers, a new watch, a photo mug of him cuddling his three sons, a bottle of his - or rather Sam's - favourite cologne, a new wallet and a gift bag of his favourite chocolates.

And of course, the children had gotten plenty of gifts too. Fletch and given Sam and Tom a £50 voucher to spend on toys that they hadn't already gotten so they had new toys, new clothes, new blankets and many other things. The floor was plastered with wrapping paper, but the sofa where the eight children were sitting each with a new soft toy, was cleared because Sam had been worried about them becoming lost under the wrapping paper.

"Thank you." Sam and Tom both said as they gave each other a warm hug, before they pulled away.

"Listen, I know you're probably going to say you don't mind missing out, but I really want you to go out on New Year's Eve." Sam stated. "Go out with Fletch, Zoe and that lot and get as hammered as you want because you've barely even touched alcohol since the babies have been born, let alone been to a pub. I want you to go out and have a good time, because I'll be just fine with these lot."

"Well, I'm not gonna turn down an offer like that!" Tom laughed. "Nah, but seriously, you sure? I honestly don't mind."

"Yeah, I want you to go out, enjoy yourself." Sam ordered.

"Well then, thank you mummy." Tom smiled before he leant in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips for several moments. "We should probably start clearing up this wrapping paper because your kids made quite a mess." Tom stated.

"Oh, _my_ kids are they?"

"Well, only when they're being pain in the backsides." Tom concluded.

"Right that's it you-" Sam launched forward and playfully got on top of him with her MMA skills, but he quickly used his strength as an advantage and turned her over so he was on top of her amongst the mountain of wrapping paper.

"I..." Tom began to sing a long note as he stared into his wife's eyes. "Don't want a lot for christmas... There is just nine things I need..." He smiled. "I can't help but care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree... I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for christmas, is, youuuuuuu!" Tom sung before he began giving her a kiss again.

"Ma-ma." They heard and immediately they broke apart and twisted their heads to the row of children on the sofa. As they scanned the row, seven of the children were still playing with their toys, but one of them was looking directly at her parents.

"Ellie?" Sam laughed out of both disbelief and pure joy that she had said such a thing.

"Ma... Mmmma." She babbled as she clapped her little hands together infrequently. Tom climbed off of Sam and helped her to sit up.

"Good girl Ellie!" Sam squealed as she picked the little girl up. "Who's mama?" Sam queried and the little girl raised her chubby finger to point nervously at the woman in front of her. it was obviously a coincidence as she wasn't old enough to associate Sam with that word yet. "Yeah, well done Ellie." Sam beamed as she pulled the little girl into a hug with her chin tucked on her mother's shoulder.

**Thanks for reading! Will the new year be as enjoyable for the family as christmas? Or will the loud celebrations be too much for some of them? Please review :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**31st December 2014**

**5:30pm**

"Tom I've told you a million times, I'll be fine. And if you don't get your backside out of that front door in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to kick it out of this house myself." Sam threatened bluntly.

"You've got such a delicate, feminine voice." Tom said sarcastically.

"Mm, stop stalling and go." Sam ordered.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. But give me a call if you want me to come back at any time okay?"

"Tom, you're keeping the taxi waiting, just go!" Sam ordered.

"Alright alright, I'll see you soon." Tom pecked Sam on the lips before he left and locked the front door behind him, leaving Sam and the octuplets home alone.

Tom was going to meet everyone in the pub after they had just finished their shifts because he was still on his three week holiday, and he had arranged to travel home by taxi too so he could drink. But as much as he wanted to get hammered and celebrate the new year because that's what Sam wanted him to do, he felt guilty about leaving her at home with the kids - despite the fact that he left her alone when he had to go to work all those times before he had begun his holiday.

* * *

Sam padded upstairs after making sure that her property was secure because there was something about being in a large house that sometimes made her feel a little uneasy. It was eerily quiet as she entered the bedroom where her children were napping, and she knew that it would soon be time when they would be wide awake and would be playing so she got changed into her pyjamas, ready to play with them on her large double bed and within seconds of her being ready, Aaron began to stir. Sam took the boy out of his cot, and checked his nappy was clean before she sat him on the bed and put a little rolled up towel behind him to give him support.

"Here, you want to play with this?" Sam said softly as she placed a small unbreakable mirror with a soft padded edge in his hands. She smiled as Aaron appeared fascinated by his own reflection, and he looked startled that when he poked his tongue out, the reflection did so too. "Who's that?" Sam teased as she pointed to the mirror.

"Bub... Brrr... Ah!" He babbled.

"Really? I had no idea!" Sam smiled.

* * *

**11:45pm**

Sam was lying in bed, watching the news of celebrations around the world on her iPad when her phone began ringing; it was her husband.

"Hello?"

"_Hello_!" Tom bellowed.

"And how much have you had to drink?" Sam remarked quietly.

_"Nah, I'm just joking, I'm still semi-sober_." He stated. "_How're the kids_?" He asked curiously.

"They're all tucked up in bed, fast asleep." Sam stated.

_"Brilliant. Well, I just wanted to give you a call now because it's going to be too loud in the pub at midnight to hear you. Happy new year, and let 2015 bring many more surprises along the way_." Tom smiled.

"Happy new year to you too. And could you do me a favour? At least try not to let Fletch drink half of the bar and kill half of his liver in one night please?"

_"Fletch isn't drinking, he's driving Rita, Robyn and lofty home tonight. Or rather in the morning_." Tom replied.

"Oh, well good for him. Just make sure you get home safe."

_"I will. Love you_."

"Love you too. Bye."

"_Bye_." Sam hung up the phone and then put it on her bedside table.

* * *

Soon, the time passed as Sam watched the amazing firework celebrations in Tokyo, Beijing, and Sydney and it reached the countdown to midnight. She smiled to herself as she thought of Tom holding hands with people ready to sing old lang syne in the pub, when suddenly fireworks began outside, and the first one made Sam leap out of her skin.

Within seconds the babies began crying and Sam's heart was beating ten to the dozen as she jumped out of bed and didn't know who to comfort first. The fireworks continued, as did the babies crying and she felt her eyes uncontrollably fill with tears as it broke her heart to hear her children scared like that.

"Er... Right." Sam said to herself as she chucked the duvet off of the bed, and then she positioned hers and Tom's pillows into an upside down V shape before she decided the best course of action was for them to sleep with her in her bed for the night. "Sshh, calm down... Please? It's okay." Sam said softly as she began to pick her children up and transfer them to her bed, and soon she was able to get into her own bed and get them comfortable. Ellie was consoled as soon as she had contact with her mother, so Sam placed Ellie between her legs, and tucked her under a little blanket. She then put Bella in between her thighs too and the second infant used her sisters bum as a pillow which caused Sam to smile.

Sam put Charlie and Jonny either side of her own head with their heads nuzzled into their mothers neck. And then she put Aaron on one side with her arm wrapped around him, and Leah on the other side. Finally, she put Megan and Summer on her chest before she set about settling her children whilst the fireworks continued to erupt outside...

* * *

Tom unlocked the front door, and came in with a little more force than intended, but it wasn't his fault as the alcohol had slurred his actions. However, he was sober enough to lock the door before he slowly made his way upstairs. He reached the bedroom, and through the darkness he could see Sam with two babies between her legs, two next to her head, two on her chest and two by her sides tucked under her arms to keep them warm.

He smiled to himself, and as much as he wanted to get comfy with them, he knew he would only disturb them, and that up it wouldn't be safe to get into bed with small children under the influence of alcohol because he would probably be a heavy sleeper. Thankfully, their double duvet was on the floor so he took his shoes and coat off, before he wrapped himself in the duvet and got comfortable on the soft carpet.

* * *

Sam awoke to an odd feeling, and as she looked down, she realised that Aaron had made the small journey to sit up. Her shirt must've fallen down in the night because Aaron was sitting there, leaning forward holding and suckling at Sam's breast.

"Please, help yourself." Sam said sarcastically, but she found it adorable that he had done it by himself. She wondered where her husband was, when she suddenly heard him groan. And within seconds, he was sat up besides the bed clutching his head. "Good night was it?" Sam remarked.

"I'm not sure, I can't remember most of it." Tom admitted quietly. "Although I do remember being called a lightweight." He stated.

"Well considering you haven't had alcohol for quite some time, I'm not surprised." Sam stated. "Do you want some paracetamol?" Sam offered.

"No, don't bother getting up." Tom croaked.

"No, I've got some here." Sam stated as she took the box of tablets out of her bedside draw, and then offered him, her bottle of water with it.

"Thanks." Tom forced a smile before he took two tablets and drank the rest of the water too to ward off dehydration.

"Right, I'm going to go and get these lot dressed and then take them downstairs, you have a lie in and sleep the hangover off." Sam ordered as she slowly sat up and got herself off of the bed without squishing her babies. But she kept Aaron against her chest because she didn't want to disturb his morning meal.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. But you're not gonna be sick are you?" Sam moaned.

"No, I don't feel sick." Tom stated.

"Right. C'mon you lot, rise and shine." Sam smirked as she walked over to the baskets to get out some clothes. It took Sam a while, but she changed everyone's nappies and changed them into clean baby grows before she carried them downstairs to play with their christmas presents that they had not yet gotten bored of.

* * *

It was 1pm by the time Tom emerged from their bedroom and he was in his boxers, and his thick, dark blue dressing gown. In the living room, Sam had the five girls with their own play gym each, batting and kicking away at the toys dangling above them, whilst Aaron was lying on his tummy with his arms on Sam's legs where she was sitting on the floor breastfeeding Jonny and Charlie.

"How're you feeling?" Sam asked curiously.

"Still a little fragile." Tom admitted. "But not too bad."

"I made you a chicken salad for lunch, it's in the fridge if you want it." Sam offered.

"Ooh, thanks." Tom replied before he padded into the kitchen, got his lunch and a fork before he sat down on the sofa with Sam on the floor in front of him.

"Fletch has put up pictures of last night by the way. And there's a benefit of being sober - he caught everyone being absolute idiots." Sam smirked as she handed Tom the iPad. Tom unlocked it, and logged in to his Facebook account.

"Oh lord." Tom groaned as he had so many notifications, and he had been tagged in loads of pictures. "Oh my g..." He trailed off as he found a picture of himself kissing Cal on the lips whilst they each held a pint of beer. "Um..." He was just thankful that it wasn't a female, even though Sam would know that it was only the alcohol.

"Are you cheating on me with him?" Sam joked as she peered up to see the screen which Tom lowered for her.

"But I wasn't even that drunk. I felt fine when I came back to the house." Tom said confusedly.

"What time did you stop drinking?" Sam questioned.

"I can't remember." Tom admitted.

"Well just forget it." Sam muttered.

"Oi, hang on you've liked all of these pictures! Including the one of me kissing Cal!" Tom protested.

"So? I like them." Sam said smugly. "I liked the picture of Charlie and Zoe kissing too."

"What?!" Tom laughed.

"Look on Rita's profile." Sam ordered and it took a few moments for Tom to get onto her feed, but he finally found a picture of Zoe kissing Charlie on the cheek drunkly with a glass of wine in her hand.

"That's a let down! I was expecting a full on snog." Tom moaned.

"I said kissing and they're kissing." Sam stated. Tom locked the iPad before he slid onto the floor besides Sam and picked up Aaron. "Don't rock him about too much, he's just been fed." Sam stated.

"Okay. Have you thought about when you want to go back to work yet?" He asked softly.

"Soon." Sam replied briefly.

"Well we'd better start interviewing nannies eh?" Tom suggested.

"I was thinking, and I think that we should have three nannies in total while we're at work." Sam stated.

"Three or four?" Tom asked.

"Three. I mean, I manage with all eight, so I don't see why three nannies can't manage with them." Sam replied.

"Alright. Three nannies working Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm. Sound good?" Tom asked as he picked up the iPad and opened safari.

"Yep." Sam nodded.

**Thanks for reading. Sorry this chapters a bit boring so I'm going to try to update again this afternoon and it'll be Sam returning to work. Please review :) **


	36. Chapter 36

**Early February**

**7am**

Sam and Tom were ready for work an hour early because the nannies were expected to arrive soon so that they could go through details of the babies habits, rules for them, diets and routines. They had hired three nannies who worked for the same agency and that knew each other so they were bound to get on and look after the babies well.

"Right, will you stop panicking because if you're nervous when we go to work, the kids are going to pick up on that too." Tom said as he took Sam's restless hands in his and held them tightly. "They're going to be just fine, and you'll be fine going back to work-" Tom said softly but he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He gently dropped her hands and then opened the door to greet three cheery women in their late fourties each with a handbag and file.

"Good morning." One of them smiled.

"Morning. Please, come in." Tom smiled in response as he opened the door wider and the three women entered the large hallway.

Sam and Tom greeted Louise, Sue and Elizabeth before they headed upstairs to the room where the seven month old octuplets were occupied by mobiles hanging over their cots. Because they had grown, they were no longer sharing three cots and they no longer slept in their parents' room because there wasn't enough room for their cots. Instead, Ellie and Bella shared one, Megan and Summer shared one, Charlie and Jonny shared a cot, and Leah and Charlie shared one too.

"Right um, they've each got a notebook and I keep a record of everything like their feeds, nappy changes and things like that in there so you can see what they're usual routine is." Sam explained as she pointed to the stack of multicoloured notebooks on top of the dresser. "And I'd like you to continue with these notes throughout the day. Um, I don't want them to be taken outside of the house, or in the garden because there isn't really a need. I've put all of their bottle of milks and feeds in the fridge downstairs. There's plenty of pots that are labelled, and they're each one serving. But don't warm the foods up because they're teething and eating it cold straight from the fridge soothes them."

* * *

After a bit more explaining about rules, routines and habits, Sam and Tom were ready to leave for work - well, they were _supposed_ to be leaving for work, but Sam didn't feel mentally ready.

"Right, in my experience, it's best just to say good bye, and leave your children with something that smells like you such as a scarf or a muslin cloth with some breast milk on. And if they start crying, I'd recommend that you continue to leave because they'll think that if they cry, you'll come back." Louise suggested.

"Okay, I'll go and get a few bits." Sam said before she disappeared into her bedroom. She still had a few boxes filled with the babies' stuff so she took out a new pack of muslin cloths, sat on the bed and expressed a few drops of milk onto eight of them. She returned and whilst the nannies were looking through the notebook with details about each individual child in, she distributed a muslin cloth to each baby that they either clenched in their fists or put in their mouths to chew on. "Right um, I've put wristbands on them so that you don't get confused with names because even I get muddled up sometimes." Sam admitted before she glanced at all of her children.

"Right, c'mon. Shall we get going?" Tom said softly as he placed his hands on Sam's shoulders.

"Okay, bye bye." Sam forced a smile as she gave a little wave to her children.

"Don't worry, we've got your numbers if we need to contact you." Elizabeth said quietly because the babies seemed occupied by their muslin cloths.

Just as Sam and Tom reached the top of the stairs, they heard a little wail, and immediately knew it was Ellie.

"Ma... Mama." They heard the muffled sobs of the little girl and Sam froze as she wanted to go back.

"Keep going, she'll be fine." Tom said softly as he encouraged Sam down the stairs with a small push, and she reluctantly made her way to the front door.

* * *

Sam quietly opened the staffroom door where everyone was waiting.

"Welcome back!" Everyone shouted in unison and Sam had to force a smile as she had been hoping for a quiet day. But nevertheless, she was thinking about her children more than her colleagues so she just walked past them and up to her locker.

"Has someone got the baby blues?" Fletch joked quietly as he went and stood next to Sam whilst the rest of the crowd resumed getting ready for their shifts and soon began to disperse. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Where's Tom?" Fletch asked curiously.

"He's gone to his office." Sam stated as she grabbed a pair of turquoise scrubs from the rack. "Um... Could you ask the others not to make a fuss please? I just want to keep my head down for now." Sam asked as she shut her locker.

"Yeah sure. How did it go with the nannies?" He asked curiously.

"Um... Alright I suppose. Ellie was crying when we left." Sam shrugged. "I'd better get on."

"Yeah sure, see you on the ward." Fletch smiled before he left the room. And Sam followed with the pair of scrubs and her handbag in her hands.

"Noel, where's Tom's office?" Sam queried at reception.

"The one right next to Zoe's." He replied.

"Thanks." Sam smiled before she walked through to cubicles, past Zoe's office and knocked and entered Tom's dark office. "Can I get changed in here please?" Sam asked timidly as Tom looked up from his paperwork.

"Yeah sure. Just pull the blinds shut." He smiled and Sam twisted a pole that closed the blinds before she put her bag and scrubs on the sofa. She got changed into her scrubs and then pulled her trusty yellow stethoscope around her neck. "It's like you never left." Tom smirked as Sam tied her hair up in a neat bun.

"I'd forgotten how comfy these were." Sam smirked as she gestured her scrubs before Zoe knocked and entered.

"Ah there you are Sam." She began as she closed the door behind her. "I'd like you to shadow either me or Tom for today just for you to get settled back in."

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"And, I meant to ask on the phone actually, are you still breastfeeding?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, so I'll need-"

"Frequent breaks to express, that's fine. Um, as for a private place..." Zoe trailed off as she tried to think of somewhere.

"She can express in here." Tom offered. "You've got the sofa to get comfy and there's my mini fridge you can put the bottles in."

"Yeah? If you're okay with that Sam."

"Yeah, that's fine." Sam nodded.

"Hang on, why have you got a mini fridge in your office?" Zoe demanded.

"To keep the beers cold for my lunch break." Tom joked.

"Very funny." Zoe said sarcastically. "Okay, when you're ready, you're free to start receiving patients under supervision." She smiled before she left the room.

"So, consultant Dr Kent." Sam said suggestively.

"Yes Dr Kent?" Tom smiled as he spun his chair around so that Sam could sit on his lap sideways.

"Shall we get on with the days tasks seeing as I have to shadow you all day?"

"I suppose we'd better." Tom sighed before they both stood up.

"Do you think Ellie's-"

"Don't even go there, stop thinking about the kids. If the nannies need us, they'll text or ring." Tom stated reassuringly as they entered cubicles.

* * *

Sam and Tom had been called into resus and were standing there ready to receive the case when Jeff and Dixie bursted into the room with a trolley.

"Right, this is an unknown patient involved in a side on collision with another vehicle, she fell unconscious in the ambulance, and we couldn't make much sense of what she was saying except her daughter is called Mia. We think she's about 2 or 3 years old. Iain's got her daughter who was strapped to her car seat, she was in the opposite side of the car to her mother, and is distressed but we've checked her over and she appears uninjured." Dixie explained.

"Go on Tom, I've got this case." Zoe ordered so as soon as Iain entered resus with the wailing toddler, Tom took the girl and quickly made his way over to another bed besides her mother in resus.

"Come on Mia, settle down." Tom cooed but the girl was having none of it as she began banging her head against Tom's chest. Tom placed the little girl with blonde hair in a messy ponytail and a pink dress with thick white tights on, on the bed. She was screaming and screaming and stood up to try and run away but Sam grabbed her before she fell off off the bed.

"It's okay Mia, you need to calm down for me sweetheart. I've got you, it's okay." Sam said softly as she held the girl against her chest with one arm under her bum to support her weight.

Suddenly, Sam felt her stomach become warm and wet and then she heard liquid trickling on to the floor; the girl had become so distressed she had wet herself.

"I sorry. I weally weally sorry." Mia sobbed as tears poured down her red cheeks.

"Sshh, it's okay. Don't worry Mia, shall we go and get you changed?" Sam suggested as she girl remained clinging to Sam. Sam felt uncomfortable as she felt the warm liquid drip down her trousers but she couldn't show it because the girl was clearly distressed.

"Mummy... I want mummy." Mia hiccuped.

"It's alright, mummy just needs to be looked after at the moment, so why don't we go and get you cleaned up? Hm?" Sam repeated and the girl reluctantly nodded into her chest. "Right, Tom, can you grab the mum's bag and see if there's some clothes in there?" Sam asked and Tom quickly went over to the other bed and grabbed the mothers large handbag.

"Yep, everything you need is in here." Tom replied.

"Okay, can you hold her because-"

"Noooo!" The girl whined as she clung to Sam tightly.

"Alright, alright calm down. I've still got you." Sam said softly. "Right, do you want to come and help me please." Sam ordered her husband rather than asked before she awkwardly walked from resus to the staffroom.

* * *

Tom closed the staffroom door behind them and he couldn't help but smirk as he watched Sam try to deal with the situation. "Right Mia, if I just put you on the floor next to me, can you wait there so I can get changed? And then I'll get you a change of clothes out yeah?"

"Yeah." The girl repeated so Sam gently put the girl down on her own two feet and then opened her locker. Mia watched as Tom placed her mother's bag on a table and then began taking out a change of clothes for her and before she knew it, the friendly doctor was in fresh scrubs and picked her up again and put her down on the carpet in a corner ready to change her.

* * *

Sam and Tom exited resus with Mia. She could walk well if she was holding someone's hand so she was clutching to Sam's as she toddled along into resus.

"Zoe." Sam announced her presence and glanced down at the child whilst the clinical lead doctored her unconscious mother.

"Ah right, um. Well she's comatose so we're transferring her up to ITU but we're still unsure of her identity. Fletch is just calling some of her contacts on her phone to try and get a relative here to take the child so if you wouldn't mind, it's either you look after her for a while or I call social services for an emergency social worker." Zoe explained as the girl looked up trying to interpret what the strangers were saying whilst she kept a hold of Sam's hand.

"No, I'll look after her." Sam nodded eagerly as she picked Mia up and balanced her on her hip. "Don't get social services involved."

"Wow, that was easy. I thought it'd have to bribe you." Zoe admitted. "You've gone soft you have." She smirked.

"No I haven't." Sam protested before she walked out of resus with Tom in tow.

"Mia, do you know where you live?" Tom asked curiously because if he had an address, he had a chance at finding the mother's identity. Mia looked confusedly at Sam.

"I think that's a no." Sam replied on behalf of the toddler. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't great as they met a patient being wheeled in with blood spurting from a thigh injury. Sam quickly turned Mia's head and held her against her chest.

"He's bleeding out!" Jeff announced.

"Why he got paint on him?" Mia questioned curiously.

"I reckon he was standing under a ladder, and somebody dropped a bucket of paint all over him." Tom smiled and the little girl giggled.

"Tom I need to express." Sam said quietly to her husband after glancing at the clock and she had recognised the achy, full feeling in her breasts.

"Right, um. Do you want to go to my office?" Tom suggested. "Mia, do you want to come with me and get something to eat and drink?" Tom queried but Mia became shy as she clung on to Sam and didn't make eye contact with him.

"Mia, it's okay. Tom's my husband, he'll just look after you for a little while because I need to go somewhere." Sam said softly.

"Where?" Mia asked curiously.

"To make milk for my children." Sam said simply. "So can you please go with Tom and he'll get you a snack and he'll even take you to the peace garden where there's a play house." Sam smiled at the young girl. Reluctantly, Mia twisted around and held her arms out to Tom so he took her off of his wife and lifted the girl onto his shoulders.

"Right, let's go to the cafe!" Tom smiled before he began walking away leaving Sam to go and express in private.

* * *

Sam arrived in the peace garden and as she peered over to the colourful play house, she saw Tom sitting on one of the small plastic chairs whilst he pretended to take a cup of tea from Mia who was poking her head out of the window of the play house.

"Hello Mia." Sam smiled as she came and stood with her hands on her hips. "Guess who's arrived to come and look after you?" She queried.

"Mummy?" Mia queried as she exited the play house and Tom got up from his chair.

"Not quite, your daddy is waiting for you." Sam stated and the girl's face lit up.

"Daddy!" She squealed.

"C'mon, let's go and see him." Sam said as she took the girl's hand and they began walking back to the ED.

* * *

"Bye." Sam waved as Mia and her daddy stood in the lift, going up to ITU to see her mother.

"You can't say you haven't gone soft." Tom smirked as the pair walked towards his office.

"I haven't." Sam protested weakly, because she knew she had lost her edginess in family situations. She just didn't want to admit it.

* * *

**4:30pm**

Sam and Tom had just finished a case as they were heading to reception to receive another, when Zoe stopped them.

"Listen, we're not too busy. So you two can go home early if you want." Zoe offered.

"Really? Thank you." Sam said quickly before she jogged towards Tom's office to collect her things.

"Well, no need to tell her twice." Tom joked halfheartedly.

"She really misses her kids." Zoe sighed. "I mean, not that you don't but-"

"It's fine, I know what you mean." Tom interrupted. "Right, I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled before he began jogging to catch up with his wife.

* * *

Sam had been quick to greeted the nannies who said they had take a while to settle, but they had been fine otherwise, and then showed them the door because she just wanted to spend some time with her children. Tom watched as Sam shut the door, before she sprinted upstairs.

"How're my little munchkins?" Tom queried as he entered the room where all children were standing in their cots leaning against the rails looking at their parents.

"Hello!" Sam beamed as she picked up Ellie and put her on her hip.

"Mama." Ellie smiled in return as she snuggled her face into her mother's chest after missing her ever since she had left that morning.

"Have you been a good girl?" Sam asked.

"Milk." Ellie demanded as she grabbed Sam's breast with both hands. "Miiiiillk." She repeated slowly.

"You want milk, of course you do." Sam concluded as she pulled her top down unclipped her bra and Ellie helped herself as she latched on and suckled away to her hearts content. "Not I've missed you mummy or I want a hug." Sam said to herself and Tom chuckled.

* * *

**10:45pm**

Sam collapsed into bed besides her husband after finally getting the octuplets off to sleep.

"Well that wasn't the first day back at work that I was expecting." Sam sighed as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his hands on her abdomen where his children used to lay.

"It'll be better tomorrow. You won't have to shadow me, and you won't have to spend most of the day looking after a toddler." Tom said reassuringly.

"I don't know how long I can do this." She admitted. "Getting up early, sometimes getting up in the night, I don't get to bed until late and I have to work during the day - I used to have naps when I could catch up."

"Well why don't you nap in your lunch break?" Tom suggested. "My office is always quiet. And you've got the sofa there, just bring a blanket and a pillow tomorrow and you can try and get some rest. Speaking of which, c'mon, stop talking and go to sleep." He ordered tiredly as he switched the light off and then snuggled up to his wife.

**Thanks for reading please review :) Next is the octuplet's first birthday!**


	37. Chapter 37

**26th July 2015**

Thankfully, the octuplets' first birthday had fallen on a Sunday so neither Sam nor Tom had work. The octuplets had grown and developed so much in a year that Sam couldn't believe that just 12 months ago they were all lying in incubators, fighting for their lives. Now, they were fighting over toys!

They could all walk to some degree, though some needed more support than others. And none of them could walk more than a couple of steps without holding on to something or someone. Unfortunately, whilst Tom had gone out to get shopping for the day's celebrations, Sam was left in charge of the impossible challenge of getting them dressed.  
"Right, who wants to get changed first?" Sam queried as she entered the room where all eight infants were standing in their own cots, with four on the left and four on the right with a short passage down the middle for accessibility.  
"Mama." Aaron said rather loudly.  
"Thank you for volunteering, Aaron." Sam said sarcastically as she walked over and picked him up. "Cor, you lot are getting heavy aren't you?" Sam groaned as she balanced him on her hip and then walked into the other room containing two changing tables and boxes and boxes filled with clothes and other items for the babies. There was also a large soft fluffy shag rug used to lie the babies on whilst Sam changed the other babies where they couldn't hurt themselves or get up to mischief.

Sam took his white baby grow off and then changed her nappy, but as she took out a pair of soft jeans and a blue shirt, she turned back to find Aaron standing on the changing table.  
"You're not supposed to do that are you?" Sam said sternly as she lifted the nappy clad baby and placed him on his bum on the changing table.  
"Foo." Aaron smiled cheekily.  
"Food?" Sam smiled. "I've told you before, you've got to be patient Aaron. And trust me with 7 brothers and sisters, you're going to need patience in your life." Sam said as she pulled the shirt over his head. "What would you like for breakfast this morning? We've got apples, toast, oatmeal-"  
"Food!" Aaron proclaimed and Sam smiled as she pulled his jeans up.

"Right, is it you who doesn't like wearing socks, or is that your brother?" Sam questioned as she opened the draw filled with balls of paired up socks. She pulled out a pair of socks to try, and as she began to pull on a sock Aaron giggled and pulled his feet towards himself as he squirmed about. "No, you're the ticklish one aren't you?" Sam smiled. "Right, that's you done. Shall we go and get Jonny?" Sam said as she picked Aaron up and placed him gently on his feet on the carpet on front of her. Sam held his hand as he slowly took a few steps towards the door. But he became slower and slower until he stopped completely and grabbed on to Sam's lower leg with both hands.

"Mama."  
"Is that all you can manage?" Sam asked as she picked the tired legged infant up and balanced him on her hip. "Don't worry, you'll be running away from me in tescos and causing havoc before you know it." Sam joked halfheartedly - she had picked him up to speed up the process as it had already taken ten minutes to dress just one of them, and Aaron was one of the most cooperative.

* * *

Just as Sam was carrying Summer and Leah down the stairs, the front door opened to reveal Tom with his hands filled with shopping bags.  
"Ah, you're just in time to help me with feeding time at the zoo." Sam announced.  
"I've got to unpack the shopping." Tom stated smugly. "The car is still filled with bags as well." He added before he made his way through to the kitchen where six of his children were strapped securely to their high chairs at the breakfast bar playing with either a small rattle or soft toy. "Happy birthday!" Tom announced cheerfully as he dumped the bags on the counter.

His sons had fairly short hair at two inches long, all of which was brown because they were identical. And Leah had dark brown wavy hair down to her shoulders, as did Megan, and Summer, but she had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, Bella had wavy brown hair that went down to her shoulders, and Ellie had fairly straight light brown hair that went an inch below her shoulder.

"Hurry up and pack away, I'll be getting their food ready." Sam ordered.  
"And of course, seeing as they're now 1 year old, they're all going to be very mature at breakfast and not throw food everywhere or be silly." Tom said sarcastically before he went back out to the car.

"Uncle Fletch is coming around this morning." Sam said to make conversation with her children whilst she got the loaf of brown bread out of the bread bin. "Well don't sound too enthusiastic will you." Sam said sarcastically as she put four slices of bread into the toaster.  
"Food!" Aaron demanded loudly as he banged his fists on the tray over his high chair.  
"Aaron!" Sam laughed. "Don't do that!" She ordered as she began to get out a large container of breast milk. She carefully poured 100ml into eight small bottles that wouldn't leak unless sucked, and then gave each of the children a bottle.

Tom reentered the kitchen with the rest of the shopping and to save another trip to the car, he had carried as many bags as he possibly could before he dumped them on the kitchen side.  
"You're buttering toast." Sam ordered as she bent down and picked up Jonny's milk bottle that he had already dropped on the floor.  
"Fine. But you have to clean the floor after breakfast." Tom smirked and Sam glared at him.  
"I clean the floor pretty much very day, it's your turn." She argued.  
"Alright, alright, I was joking. I'll do it." He sighed as he got the sunflower oil, dairy-free butter out of the fridge. "I got them a mini cupcake each." Tom stated.  
"And is there any spares?" Sam queried sheepishly as she began chopping up bananas and apples.  
"I got a box of twelve so we've got 2 each." Tom stated.  
"I've got you well trained." Sam smiled to herself.

Feeding time was a little bit harder than the average family household for Sam and Tom, because they had eight babies, which mean eight different sets of tastebuds, and hence eight different sets of likes and dislikes. It also mean there was eight different people to drop things, throw things and play with things which made meals rather entertaining sometimes - though sometimes they just wanted to get on.  
"Right, let's start with toast. Who wants a bit of toast?" Tom queried as he leant against the breakfast bar, looking around at his kids whilst he held a plate filled with square inch servings of brown bread toast that had been lightly buttered. He handed a piece to each child because it was best to give them little bits at a time, and it was far easier than giving them all separate plates - it saved on washing up.

Slowly, Tom distributed the toast around the group until they had had enough of it, so Sam stepped in with the small chunks of apple and slices of banana. The octuplets only required small portions so they only had two apples and two bananas between them.  
"Make sure that Ellie and Bella get plenty, they weren't too keen on the toast." Tom warned before he began packing the shopping away.  
"Right. Here you go." Sam smiled as she stood with a bowl of each fruit and a spoon. It seemed unhygienic to others, but to Sam and Tom it was a large time saver so she used the same spoon for the children as she went around feeding them until all the fruit was gone, and they resumed occasionally taking sips from their bottles of milk.  
"Right, what are we having this morning for finals? Scrambled egg or cereals?" Tom queried.

"Um... Neither. Give them half Weatabix each with a tablespoon of natural yogurt and a few strawberries." Sam replied as she placed the two bowls and the spoon in the washing up bowl. "Oh but, Summer and Charlie don't like strawberries so give them a few slices of kiwi fruit." Sam added before she took over putting the shopping away and Tom began to prepare their last bit of breakfast.

* * *

Sam was getting dressed in her and Tom's bedroom whilst she had the three boys on their double bed rolling about when Tom came up holding two packets of pads and a box of tampons.  
"Are these the right ones?" He queried.  
"Yeah, just put them in the ensuite in the cupboard under the sink please." Sam replied before she lifted Charlie up and put him more towards the middle of the bed to prevent any falls. Tom did as he was told before he came out, snuck up behind Sam and slapped her on the bum.  
"Oi! What was that for?" Sam shrieked as she quickly turned around.  
"Becuase exactly one year ago today, your bum had changed because you'd gone into labour." Tom replied.  
"My bum changed?"  
"Yeah." He nodded.  
"You never said."  
"That's becuase I knew you'd be self conscious when you had other things to worry about." Tom replied. "Right, I'd better get back to the girls. I promised them I'd read a princess book to them." Tom smirked as he kissed Sam on the cheeks before he left the room.

* * *

"Uncle Fletch is here!" Fletch announced as he entered the living room with Tom, where Sam was sitting on the floor with the octuplets. Some were crawling, some were walking whilst using the sofa for assistance and others were playing with toys.  
"Uncie." Summer smiled as she lifted her arms up towards him. Fletch bent down and picked the girl up.  
"Hello..." Fletch had to glance at Tom for help because he never could work out who was who as summer, Megan and Leah all had the same facial and hair features as they were identical.  
"Summer." Tom said.  
"Hello summer." Fletch smiled.

Sam realised that as soon as Fletch had entered, Bella and Ellie ran (or rather toddled) over to their mother and hid behind her.  
"What's wrong with you two?" Sam queried but as she turned around, the two girls just grabbed onto Sam's hands. "It's only Fletch." Sam said softly which caught the man's attention.  
"Hey, you two. Look what I've got." Fletch smiled as he placed summer on the floor, grabbed two princess tiaras from the side and went and sat down on the floor by the girls, but they clung on to their mum even tighter.  
"C'mon, it's alright. Look, Fletch is our friend." Sam said slowly but it didn't ease the girls at all. "Fine, come here." Sam sighed as she sat cross legged and then pulled Ellie and Bella on to her lap.  
"Can I put this on you?" Fletch asked kindly as he looked at Bella, who glanced back at her mother.  
"It's alright, I'm here." Sam said reassuringly, so Bella turned back around and lifted her head a little. Fletch gently placed the tiara on the girl's head of straight, light brown, shoulder length hair. He picked up the second tiara and moved towards Ellie but she squirmed back and grabbed on to her mother. "Why are you always so shy?" Sam moaned. "Look, Ellie." Sam said to get her attention and she raised her head to look at her mum in the eyes. "Uncle Fletch is a nice man, just like daddy. And he's not going to hurt you." Sam stated.

* * *

A little while later, Fletch had said hello to all of the other children and played with them for a while, before he returned to Bella and Ellie who were still sitting in their mummy's lap. Clearly, watching Fletch play with her siblings had eased Bella a little as she held her hands out to Fletch.  
"What is she going to do?" Fletch asked as he took both of the girl's tiny hands.  
"Probably stand up." Sam stated and the girl did so. "She wants you to help her walk. But be careful, she won't get very far." Sam warned.

"Good girl Bella." Fletch smiled as he got onto his knees whilst holding hands with the girl and she slowly walked towards him.  
"F... Fetch." Bella said apprehensively.  
"Fletch." Fletch said slowly and clearly.  
"Fe... Fetch." She repeated.  
"That's probably the best you're going to get for now." Sam smirked as she played with Ellie's arms.  
"Close enough, well done Bella." Fletch smiled before he carefully lifted the girl up and put her on his lap. "Y'know, I'm exhausted and I've only been here for about an hour, I honestly admire you and Tom becuase I just don't know how you do it. You're brilliant parents." Fletch said kindly.  
"Well, I was the one who carried them for months." Sam said sternly and Tom smirked. "But thanks."  
"You're never going to let that one go are you?" Tom joked.

"I had my abdomen sliced open, do you have a scar across your bikini line? No, didnt think so." Sam retorted.  
"You can barely see the scar, it's just like a thin line." Tom protested.  
"You don't see it every day! I do!" Sam protested.  
"Actually, I probably do too." Tom smirked and Fletch grimaced in disgust.  
"Too much information you two." He warned.  
"I don't know what you're thinking about Fletch but he's talking about getting changed in the same room and seeing me when I lift my top up to breastfeed." Sam said innocently.  
"Yeah, sure you were." Fletch smirked.

"Mama."  
"Ah, now that's a problem because I don't actually know who said that." Sam admitted as she looked around.  
"Mama." Bella said as she scrambled off of Fletch's lap.  
"No, I think the first time it was one of the boys." Tom stated.  
"Mama."  
"That time was definitely Summer." Sam stated.  
"Oh c'mon you lot, dada, dada, dada!" Tom chanted encouragingly. "Charlie, say dada."  
"Dama." Charlie replied confusedly.  
"Don't, you're confusing him." Sam whined. "And making them blaspheme." Sam added jokily.  
"Well how come most of them can say mama and food, but they can't sat dada?" Tom moaned.

Apparently, Tom raising his voice slightly hadn't gone down well as Bella collapsed from her hands and knees, onto her belly on the carpet and began crying.  
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Sam said softly as she placed Ellie on the carpet in front of her and then picked the distressed girl up.  
"Mama?" Bella sobbed.  
"Yeah, I'm here." Sam whispered as she held the girl against her chest. "Here, you want some milk to settle you?" Sam offered as she began to undo her buttons on her shirt.

"And that's my cue to leave." Fletch concluded as he stood up.  
"Thanks for coming mate." Tom smiled before he began to sit the babies on the sofa to keep them within close proximity rather than crawling about everywhere.  
"No worries, I just can't believe they're already a year old." Fletch admitted as he pulled his coat on. "Right, I'll see you at work tomorrow, and don't worry, I'll let myself out." Fletch stated before he left the living room.  
"What are you getting all upset for eh?" Sam cooed softly a dishes tucked the girl's hair behind her ear whilst she suckled away - she didn't often feed them. Well not as much as she used to anyway, at that point, she directly breastfed each of them once a day, and the rest was bottle fed milk or other liquids.

"Are you alright?" Tom asked as Ellie clambered onto her lap and Sam ended up feeding both of them.  
"Yeah. Actually, could you get me a bottle of water from the fridge please?" Sam asked politely.  
"Yeah, sure. Just keep an eye on these lot."

* * *

"How is it possible to be this knackered?" Sam sighed as she flopped into bed besides her husband after giving Charlie his last feed before bed and all of the octuplets had been put down for the night.  
"It's possible, because you are Sam Kent, my beautiful, determined, stubborn cow of a wife, and you are an amazing mother." Tom smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Y'know, I was going to suggest that we spend a little time together before we go to bed." He said suggestively. "But if you're that tired then-"  
"Oh no, I can manage that." Sam interrupted and Tom chuckled.  
"You sure?"  
"Oh yes." Sam smirked before she jumped on top of him and planted her lips firmly onto his as she was sure she could muster up some energy from somewhere if it meant she could make love to her husband.

**Coming up is potty training! Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	38. Chapter 38

**January 2016**

At 18 months old, the octuplets were growling fast - in fact, too fast for Sam and Tom to keep up with how they were developing sometimes. A few weeks ago, they had been moved into toddler beds which had small sides by their heads to prevent them from falling out in the night, and there were the three boys in one room, Megan, Leah and Summer in another room, and Bella and Ellie in the third. There were baby gates around the house because now that the octuplets could walk more than a few steps without supervision, their parents found it hard to keep track of them.  
"If I had a penny for every time I've counted to eight in these last few weeks to check that they're all here, I'd be a millionaire." Sam proclaimed as she watched her octuplets play in the second living room that had been child proofed completely with no sharp corners on furniture or ways to escape.

There were baby gates on both entrances to it, and the only things in the room were toy boxes, and beanbags - nothing breakable, and a nice soft carpet to break any falls.

"We already are millionaires." Tom stated smugly.  
"Mm." Sam was leaning on the gate as she watched her children play with each other alone when Leah walked up to the gate.  
"Mummy wee wee."  
"What? You need your nappy changed?" Sam queried.  
"No. I wee wee now." Was what Sam could make out of her babbled that only her and Tom could ever seem to comprehend - even Fletch found it difficult to understand what they said and he spent a lot of time with them. Sam watched as the girl had a face as if she was focused on something for a few moments before she looked back up at her mum. "Now I change mummy."  
"Yep, okay." Sam leant down and lifted Leah over the gate before she balanced the girl on her hip. "I think we should start potty training Leah." Sam suggested to her husband.  
"What? Just Leah?" He questioned.  
"Well it's not fair to keep her behind if she's ready and the others aren't. I mean, I've seen her before and she usually goes in the corner when she needs to go, or she goes away from the others so she must have some control." Sam explained.  
"Well, okay. What do you want me to do?" Tom asked.  
"Nothing. You can potty train the boys when they're ready, and I'll do the girls."

"But we both know the boys are going to take forever." Tom moaned.  
"Mummy." Leah whined.  
"Okay, okay. Let's go upstairs." Sam smiled before she carried the girl up to the ensuite bathroom. Sam placed the girl on the floor before she stood up properly. "Right, I just need to go and get something. Can you stay here for me?" Sam asked slowly and clearly.  
"Stay here?" Leah used her mother's words before she sat down on her bum on the bathroom mat.  
"Yeah, good girl. I'll be right back." Sam smiled before she left the room. She quickly returned with a pack of wipes, a pair of princess pink underwear, and a bright pink potty. "Right, you've seen mummy go to the toilet before haven't you?" Sam asked, as she and Tom had always had to leave the bathroom doors open since the kids had learnt to walk because they followed them everywhere and they knew by watching their parents go, they'd learn how to use the toilet too.

"Mmhmm." Leah nodded.  
"Well how about you start using this as your little toilet?" Sam suggested as she squatted down on the floor and placed the potty firmly on the flat floor besides the normal toilet.  
"I... C-co... Con..." Leah stuttered.  
"Confused?" Sam asked and Leah nodded. "Well, if you want to, we could start you wearing big girl underwear, and you wouldn't have to wear nappies anymore. And then when you need to go wee wee or poo poo you go in here." Sam explained. Leah held her hand out towards Sam as she looked at the underwear, so Sam let her hold the underwear and get the feel of it. "What so you say?"

"So I, only go here?" Leah asked as she pointed to the potty.  
"Yes, that's right." Sam nodded.  
"Um... O-k." Leah nodded.  
"Well, let's get you changed then first. And then we can go back downstairs and see how it goes." Sam smiled before she got ready to change the young girl out of her wet nappy.

* * *

Just two hours after introducing Leah to potty training, there had been no accidents as the children played in their living room and tumbled around on the beanbags. Sam was just tidying some of the toys that were no longer being used away into a box when she felt someone tug at her skinny jeans.  
"Mummy wee wee now." Leah said desperately as she crossed her legs.  
"Okay, good girl, c'mon." Sam carefully picked Leah up and had her fingers crossed that she would make it to the potty as she made it up the stairs after leaving Tom in charge of the others. She entered the ensuite, placed Leah down on her feet and the little girl pulled down her own trousers and underwear before she sat down on the potty.  
"Is dis wight?" Leah queried.  
"Yeah, exactly like that. Good girl." Sam praised as she squatted down so she didn't look as intimidating at such a height. "And then once you're finished, you can use a few sheets of toilet roll to wipe yourself clean. And then we wash our hands." Sam explained as the little girl took a while before she felt comfortable to empty her bladder. "It's alright, take your time, there's no rush." Sam said reassuringly as she stayed kneeling on the floor.

"I finish." Leah stated as she stood up, so sam pulled a bit of toilet roll off of the roll for her and put it in her hand.  
"Now wipe front to back. So from this side by your belly, to your bum." Sam said clearly. Leah did so before she stood up and Sam pulled her underwear and trousers up as the little girl looked mesmerised at the puddle of urine in the potty. "Good girl, I'm really proud of you." Sam said softly before she kissed Leah on the top of her head.  
"Milk?" Leah questioned as she reached her hands up as though she had earned a breastfeed, but Sam had weaned them off weeks ago.  
"No, but once you've washed your hands, you can have a cuddle. Come on." Sam said as she placed the stool by the sink and lifted Leah up onto it. They had the foam kandoo soap because it encouraged the children to wash their hands properly, and Sam washed her hands with Leah before she dried them for her with a towel and she stepped her down from the stool.

Sam had just exited the bathroom with Leah toddling along holding her hand when she bumped into Tom.  
"Um, Jonny said he's got a tummy ache so I've put him down for a nap." Tom explained.  
"Any diarrhoea or vomiting?" Sam asked curiously.  
"No, nothing. I think it might be constipation, when was his last bowel movement?" Tom asked.  
"I can't remember, there's 8 of them." Sam admitted before she ran her free hand over her face.

"Right, do you want to go and make sure he's settled down alright and I'll take Leah downstairs?" Tom suggested.  
"Okay, thanks." Sam smiled and Tom lifted Leah up onto his shoulders before he made his way downstairs so Sam padded along the hallway until she reached the boys' blue bedroom. "Hey, I hear someone's not feeling very well." Sam said softly as she crouched down besides the boys bed where he was tucked under a duvet. She felt his forehead to check for a fever - which there was no sign of - before she brushed his hair out of his face. "You know mummy's a doctor?" She asked and Aaron nodded slowly. "Well I think if I give your tummy a little rub, I might be able to make you feel better. Can I try that?" Sam asked kindly as she sat on his bed next to him but he shook his head. She knew that a gentle palpation on his lower abdomen could stimulate his bowels to move to help if he did have constipation, but she knew it could be a little uncomfortable if he was already unhappy. "Do want to get some sleep?" Sam asked and he nodded his head. "Okay, I'll leave you to get some sleep." Sam said quietly as she got up and closed the curtains.

* * *

"Mummy!" Ellie smiled as Sam entered the living room and closed the baby gate behind her.  
"Hello Ellie." Sam smiled. Only she had begun to notice the dull ache in her lower abdomen that she had had when she woke up that morning too.  
"Mummy, me hungy." Charlie whined as he toddled over to his mother and tugged on her skinny jeans.  
"I suppose it is about time for your afternoon snack. Do you want to go and get some satsumas and grapes?" Sam suggested to her husband.  
"Yeah sure." Tom nodded as he got up.  
"And could you get me some ibuprofen too please?" Sam asked as she hovered her hand over her abdomen which gave Tom an indication as to why she needed pain relief.  
"Yeah sure." He smiled before he left the room.

Sam played with her children on the carpet for five minutes until Tom returned with a tray that he put on the table out of the children's reach. He gave Sam the box of ibuprofen and a glass of water, before he handed her her 'Mummy' hot water bottle.  
"Thanks." Sam smiled.  
"Go on, you jump on a beanbag and get comfy, I'll feed these lot." Tom offered as he grabbed the bowl of grapes and sat down whilst his children surrounded by him with their hands ready to grab food. "Ah ah, use this first." Tom ordered as he grabbed the bottle of hand sanitiser and put tiny amounts on each of the toddlers' hands and they they rubbed it in, whilst Sam crawled over onto one of the large beanbags and curled up with her knees up to her chest.

She smiled to herself as she watched Tom hand each of the children a segment of a satsuma which they quickly devoured and then asked for more from their father. Unfortunately, the hot water bottle and ibuprofen were taking a little longer than she had hoped, to work and so she quietly groaned to herself in agony before Ellie came over and held her arms out.  
"You want a hug?" Sam asked as she forced a smiled before she lifted the child onto her lap and gave her daughter a warming cuddle. Sam closed her eyes as Ellie had her arms over her mother's shoulders which made her feel so loved by her child, but she was interrupted when Sam heard little feet pad over.  
"Mummy." She heard before she felt a little tug at her skinny jeans. Sam opened her eyes to see Leah standing there twiddling her fingers. "Wee wee." She said simply and Sam internally sighed.

"Leah, c'mon. I can take you." Tom offered as he placed the two empty bowls on the table whilst the other children went off to play in the room.  
"No. No daddy no. Me want mummy." Leah said firmly as she folded her arms across her chest.  
"But mummy isn't feeling very well." Tom said softly but obviously Leah didn't understand it, she was only 18 months old.  
"It's fine, I don't mind." Sam forced a smiled as she pulled apart from Ellie, only she noticed that the little girl was getting sleepy. "Right, we'll take Leah to the toilet quickly. And then we'll put you down for a nap." Sam whispered as she stood up and balanced Ellie on her hip, and then took Leah's hand before they headed upstairs.

* * *

Sam placed the potty next to the toilet again, and then squatted on the floor, with Ellie curiously watching her sister.  
"Are you going to go?" Sam asked but Leah seemed distracted.  
"No." She said firmly as she gave a Sam-style glare at Ellie.  
"Look, you've seen me go all of the time, there's no need to be embarrassed." Sam was pleading in her mind as she just wanted to get Ellie off to sleep and then sit down for a while whilst she waited for the pain relief to kick in. "And you always share baths together." Sam added.

Surprisingly, Leah seemed to understand some of it as she pulled her trousers and underwear down, before she sat on the potty.  
"Y'know, you're doing really well at not having any accidents Leah. Mummy and Daddy are really proud of you." Sam smiled as she lifted Ellie onto her lap to prevent the girl from wandering near her sister.  
"Mummy why she nappy and me no?" Is what Sam could comprehend from Leah's babbling.  
"Because you're older than Ellie, so you're ready to start using a big girl toilet, and she's not." Sam explained simply.  
"I wee wee!" Leah giggled as she went in her potty, and Sam smiled at how the young girl was so easily amused.  
"Mummy I tired." Ellie whined.  
"I know, you can have a nap in a minute." Sam whispered. She reached across and took a bit of toilet roll off for Leah for when she was finished, and after washing her hands and Sam cleaned the potty, Leah was ready to go back downstairs. "Right, Leah come with me for a minute." Sam ordered as she held her hand whilst she carried Ellie to her and Bella's room. She tucked the girl in bed under her duvet and kissed her on the forehead. "Call me when you want to come back down okay." Sam whispered as she pulled the curtains, before she exited the room with Leah and then closed the baby gate behind her.

"Mummy." Sam looked down just as Leah collapsed onto her bum as she had obviously walked as far as she could despite it only being a little way.  
"Okay, I just want to check on your brother and then I'll read a story to you." Sam said as she picked Leah up, and then entered the room after opening the baby gate, where she found Jonny climbing out of bed.  
"Mummy nappy." He announced and Sam could tell by the way he was waddling that it had been more than a wee.  
"Are you feeling better now?" Sam asked and Jonny nodded eagerly. Great, another thing to do on her full list - a nappy change.

* * *

After a nappy change, Sam carried Jonny and Leah downstairs into the living room and closed the baby gate behind her.  
"Mummy!" She looked over and saw Bella waving a toy at her as she placed Leah and Jonny on the floor.  
"No mummy. Play me." Charlie ordered.  
"Sam?" Tom queried worriedly as she swayed back into the wall.  
"Mummy?" Leah looked up at her mum confusedly.

Sam was about to collapse to her side but Tom grabbed her before she fell on top of the toys, or worse, the children.  
"Leah, just move out of the way for me. Good girl." Tom said as he gently laid Sam down and cradled her in his arms. She was still conscious, but she wasn't fully with it. "It's alright, you're just pushing yourself too hard and you've been on your feet all week. Take some deep breaths for me, and don't worry about anything okay. Everything's fine." Tom said softly as he stroked her hair.  
"Mummy?" Aaron babbled worriedly. The kids didn't understand a lot of things, but they clearly knew something was wrong with their mother as they all went over to her and either tugged at a part of her clothing or held her hand.

"Mummy?" Aaron repeated when she did not reply but she was too dazed and tired to speak - she didn't have the energy.  
"Mummy's fine, she's just tired." Tom said reassuringly as he knew he needed to let her get some rest some how...

* * *

It was evening by the time Sam opened her eyes, and she realised that she was lying on a row of beanbags in the living room that was only dimly lit. Oddly, the room looked tidy and all of the toys had been packed away. In fact, she'd even go as far to say that it looked like the floor had been hoovered and the table had been polished.

She slowly got up and then padded into the kitchen were she found all eight of her children sitting in their high chairs at the breakfast bar, scribbling with crayons on sheets of paper, and Tom had an apron around his waist as he was stirring something on the hob.  
"Ah, take a seat." Tom said softly as he helped Sam onto a stool by the breakfast bar island in the middle of the kitchen. "How are you feeling?" He asked curiously.  
"What happened?" Sam asked.  
"You collapsed. I don't know whether you had a period pains and that might've contributed to it, but considering you've been fast asleep for a few hours, I'm guessing that it was mainly due to exhaustion." Tom explained as he hugged her from behind and rested his hands on her abdomen and his chin on her shoulder. "You need to take it easy. And that's not a request." Tom said sternly. "I've called Zoe and she's letting you have tomorrow and Tuesday off of work, but the nannies are going to come as usual, so I want you to get plenty of rest."

"Mm, I should collapse more often then." Sam joked halfheartedly. "I'm starving." She admitted.  
"Yeah, that was another thing I wanted to bring up. Did you even have anything for lunch?"  
"Not really... But I was too busy feeding these lot, and then they wanted to play and-"  
"There's no excuse Sam, you need to eat." He stated. "Which is why me and you are having a filling portion of homemade chicken tikka masala with rice and naan bread, and these lot are having little bits of naan bread too, with rice, and some small chunks of plain chicken breast." Tom explained. "And I've got everything under control, so don't worry." He added before he returned to cooking the meal.

"Mummy." Megan said as she picked up a sheet of paper and accidentally screwed it up a little bit as she held it out. Sam reached across and took it from her, to see that there was a mess of pink and purple scribbles on page but to her daughter, it was clearly something to be proud of.  
"Well done, look, I'll put it on the fridge." Sam smiled as she used the alphabet letter 'M' magnet to stick it on the fridge/freezer. She stuck a few other finished masterpieces up on the fridge before she sat back down.  
"By the way, Leah had a little accident and she didn't want me to change her so she had to do it by herself. She took ages but she was adamant that I couldn't help or see her while she got changed." Tom whispered in her ear.  
"I'll have a word with her." Sam replied. "She's just being a bit shy." Sam added.

"Here, have some of these while you're waiting." Tom offered as he placed a plastic box of pompadoms next to Sam. "You need to take care of yourself."  
"Tom, I get the point." Sam moaned.  
"Alright, I'm just making sure." He protested. "Do you want any more ibuprofen?" He queried kindly.  
"No thanks. I'm just gonna pop to the toilet though." She admitted she slipped off of the stool.

* * *

After dinner, the children had already made a mess of their living room once again with toys everywhere. The room was noisy as usual but thankfully the children all got on and played together.  
"Leah, come with me." Sam smiled as she held her hand out. The girl kept a hold of the toy ambulance in one hand and her mother's hand in the other as she followed Sam out of the room into the hallway, where Sam squatted on floor in front of her so she could speak to her alone.  
"I in twouble?" Leah's bottom lip quivered as she didn't like being shouted at.  
"No, no. Not at all sweetheart." Sam said reassuringly. "I just want to talk about when you go potty." Sam stated.  
"I sorry I accident when you sleep." Leah mumbled.  
"No, not that, you're bound to have accidents Leah. I'm sure you didn't mean to. What I wanted to talk to you about, is why you won't let daddy help you but you'll let me?" Sam asked softly.

"Because daddy stands and... I don't want to stand." Was what Sam managed to understand from her rambling before tears began pouring down her face.  
"No, Leah. Don't cry darling." Sam said as she pulled her little girl into a hug. "Look, you're not in trouble I promise you. But even though mummy and daddy go the toilet differently, doesn't mean you do. He won't make you stand." Sam had to stop herself from laughing at the little girl's vulnerable and innocent side. She pulled out of the hug and sat Leah on her knee. "Shall we go and see daddy and ask him?" Sam suggested as she stood up and balanced Leah in her hip.  
"O-k." She agreed reluctantly and Sam made her way back to the living room where Tom was playing with the children. He stood up as the approached him as it looked as though they had something to say.

"Daddy, if Leah lets you take her to her potty, you won't make her stand up when she goes would you? She can sit down." Sam queried as she and Tom exchanged a look of humour.  
"No, of course you'd sit down, boys stand up, girls sit down when they go to the toilet." Tom replied.  
"Oh... I sorry." She apologised sincerely as she reached her arms out for her father.  
"It's okay." Tom smiled as he took his daughter into his arms and gave her a cuddle. "Right, how about we read a story?" Tom suggested.  
"And sounds?" Leah queried.  
"Yes we can read a book with sounds." Tom smiled and Leah giggled out of happiness.

* * *

After a long, tiring day Sam and Tom had cuddled up in bed together to keep warm as it was only January and temperatures outside had plummeted.  
"Can you rub my stomach please?" Sam requested quietly as the house was in complete darkness except for the night lights in the children's rooms and all was tranquil - they didn't want to disturb the kids.  
"Sure." Tom grinned as he was happy at how much his massages tended to relieve her of her pain, and that made him feel better about himself, as he could end her suffering. He slipped his warm, soft hands under her pyjama vest and gently palpated her scarred abdomen with love and kindness. "I won't wake you tomorrow when I leave for work so you can have a lie in - the nannies will take over from me." He stated.  
"Mm, and I might just have a candle lit, hot bubble bath all to myself." Sam whispered with pleasure.  
"Well don't interfere with the nannies, remember you're off of work to rest."  
"God, you treat me like you treat the kids. Do this, do that." Sam moaned.  
"It's only-"  
"Because you care." Sam interrupted. "I know, but it gets annoying sometimes." She admitted. "Right, night night." She whispered.  
"Good night, sweet dreams my beautiful wife." Tom whispered into Sam's ear before he pecked her on the cheek and nuzzled his nose behind her ear as they shared a pillow. Slowly, they slipped into a deep slumber in each other's arms.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	39. Chapter 39

**March 2016**

At 20 months old, the octuplets were hyperactive during the day, taking only one afternoon nap, and most slept through the night except the odd couple of times when one would need the toilet. None of the boys had begun potty training because they weren't ready, and Ellie was the only girl that hadn't started - though it had been expected that she would take longer as she was the youngest and smallest. Leah, Megan, Summer and Bella were all trying their best, but as expected there was sometimes accidents.

The octuplets were in the living room that had been designated the play room - there were four living rooms, and one was purely for the children - and Sam stood up and realised that the baby gate had been left open ever so slightly. She glanced around the room and counted to check they were all there.  
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7- Tom we're missing one." Sam blurted out worriedly. Tom looked up and glanced around and also only managed to count seven. "It's Ellie. Where's Ellie?" Sam demanded.  
"Calm down, she can't have gone far." Tom stated as they both ran out of the room and he closed the baby gate behind him. Sam paused to listen, and she could heard the faint cries of her child that broke her heart to hear. She followed the sounds until she found Ellie sitting on the carpet of the bedroom - the only bedroom on the ground floor that was rooms away from the living room - clutching her toy doll and crying her eyes out.

"Ellie!" Sam let out a sigh of relief as she found her baby girl whom she ran to and then cradled her in her arms to settle her. "Don't ever do that again." Sam scolded softly as Tom watched the two females - he had never seen Sam so panicked in their two years of marriage.  
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." The girl sobbed and Sam slowly stood up with the girl against her chest.  
"Did you leave the gate open?" Sam asked her husband.  
"No, you were the one who came in the room after me so it can't have been." Tom replied.  
"I... Me." The girl admitted.  
"You opened it?" Sam questioned.  
"I sorry... I see you open it and... I didn't know it wong." The girl said through her sobs.

"Okay, okay. Calm down, you're not in trouble." Sam said soothingly and it took a few minutes until the girl's sobs subsided. "Right, listen to me Ellie. You're the only one out of your brothers and sisters who can open that gate, but you're not supposed to because me and daddy put those gates there to keep you safe. So between you and me, I'm trusting you not to open those gates unless I say you can, okay?" Sam explained.  
"Okay." The girl nodded.  
"Good girl." Sam kissed Ellie on the forehead and then picked her toy doll off of the floor. "And seeing as I can trust you, how about I ask daddy to take the gate off of you and Bella's bedroom so that if you need the toilet in the night, you can come and get me or daddy, rather than having to call for us?" Sam suggested, as she hoped that giving the girl a little bit of responsibility would ensure that she wouldn't open the gate again.

"Thank you." Ellie said before she wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and buried her head under her mother's chin.  
"You're welcome." Sam smiled at her husband before she carried her lost daughter back to the play room.

* * *

"Y'know we got them those finger paints and stamps the other day?" Tom asked as he fluttered his eyelashes at his wife.  
"Ooh, I wonder where this is going." Sam said sarcastically. "They can finger paint, but you know Bella doesn't like paint so I'll do some colouring with her. And make sure that you put newspaper underneath." Sam warned.  
"Don't you want to join in with the finger painting?" He smirked.  
"No, I'll be fine with Bella. And you'll have to change them into old clothes first." Sam added.  
"Why do I have to do all of this?" Tom moaned.  
"Because you're the one who wants them to finger paint." Sam retorted.

* * *

In the kitchen on the tiled floor, newspapers had been laid out all across the floor, and the seven octuplets were sitting there in pairs of old clothes with a sheet of A3 paper each, whilst they waited for their dad to arrive with the pots of paint and water. Sam however was sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar, with Bella facing her on her high chair, and she had a colouring book with thick crayons to keep her occupied as she hated the feel of paint and didn't want to take part in the activity - not that Tom would complain because it was one less child to clean up.

"I've put the hot water on by the way, so you can give them a bath after this." Sam stated smugly.  
"And will you be helping me bathe our children?" He queried as he turned the tap on to fill a few pots up with water.  
"I suppose so." Sam sighed. "But only if you at least _try_ not to get too messy." Sam added.  
"Since when would our children get messy?" Tom said innocently and Sam rolled her eyes before she picked up a crayon to help Bella colour in her picture of a simple fruit bowl. Sam smiled as she had coloured in the apples blue, the bananas pink and the pear purple - and of course the colouring was nowhere near neat, it was more scribbles.  
"What colour do you want the bowl to be?" Sam asked as the girl was hard at work, concentrating on her masterpiece. The girl looked up and then pointed at an orange crayon. "Okay, and what's the name of this colour?" Sam asked as she showed it to Bella as the paper wrapper had the word orange written on it, not that she could read it very well.  
"Or... Ora... Orange?" Bella replied questioningly.  
"Yep, well done." Sam smiled.

Tom placed the bowls of water down first as he knew that they wouldn't play with it, they just wanted the paint, before he returned with three sets of paint for them to share - red, yellow, blue and white pots.  
"Pink." Ellie whined.  
"I'll show you how to make pink." Tom smiled as he knelt down next to Ellie after distributing the paint evenly, whilst the rest of the children began digging in and wiping paint all over the paper. "Look, you put your fingers in the white." Tom said as he took Ellie's hand in his, and got some paint on them. "What do you want to make pink?" He asked.  
"Flower." She replied confidently and Tom let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't something complex like a magical pink dragon or a princess that she usually went for.  
"Okay, well if I draw this first." Tom said as he drew a simple five petal flower in the middle of the page with a stem and leaf using a pencil. "Now just do a bit of white." He said as he pressed Ellie's little hand on the paper and created a white splodge. "And then get a little bit of red." He said as he used one of Ellie's clean fingers and dipped it in the pot. "Then if you mix the two together, you get pink." Tom smiled and Ellie giggled.  
"Pink!" She shrieked.  
"Yep, but keep it down, and remember what I've said about trying not to mix colours." He warned before he stood up.

"Daddy gween." Charlie ordered.  
"Daddy puple." Summer ordered.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Tom smirked.

* * *

Tom had just carrying everyone upstairs for their bath to clean up, and thankfully they were all doing as they were told and keeping their paint covered hands to themselves in the ensuite bathroom where they could easily bath four at a time to speed things up.  
"Mummy me no bath." Bella said firmly.  
"No you don't need one so, can you just sit in the corner there for me, and you can play with this." Sam smiled as she lifted the girl up and sat her down on the bathroom bat against the wall before she handed her a duck that they played with in the bath sometimes.  
"Right, you're the messiest so you go first." Tom said as he carefully took Jonny's clothes and nappy off, and then placed him in the warm, soapy bath water. He created a pile of clothes as he took off the clothes of Megan, Summer and Leah, and placed them in the bath too.

Sam was occupying Charlie, Jonny, Ellie and Bella whilst three of them waited for their bath time, when Bella got up and tugged at Sam's sleeve.  
"Mummy wee wee." She whispered to her.  
"Okay." Sam smiled as she opened the cupboard and took out Bella's potty - the four that were potty training (Bella, Summer, Megan and Leah) all had their own potty to encourage them to be independent. Sam placed it on the floor besides the normal toilet, but Bella began twiddling her thumbs. "What's wrong?" Sam asked and the girl glanced up at the two boys and Ellie besides her. "It's alright, their not looking, they can't see anything. I'm in the way." Sam said kindly as she repositioned herself. Reluctantly, Bella pulled her jeans and underwear down and sat on the potty. "Good girl." Sam smiled as she got her a bit of toilet roll to use once she had finished.

"Mummy what this?" She heard Charlie ask and Sam and Tom both turned around to see him holding a pack of pads in his paint covered hands. And Ellie had a single tampon in her hand that had ironically been covered in dark red paint where Sam had obviously left the bathroom cabinet open. Tom chuckled as he couldn't wait to see how Sam dealt with it.  
"Right stay still." Sam ordered the two sternly whilst she made sure that Bella finished with her potty, wiped properly and washed her hands before she took the items off of her children. "Mummy uses these to clean up messes sometimes." Sam improvised as she took the red tampon off of Ellie and put it in the bathroom bin. She then took the pack of pads off of Charlie, took the pads out of the packet and put them back in the cupboard before she put the packet in the bin too. "And this is mummy's cupboard so don't go in here again." Sam said sternly as she wiped the paint off of the cupboard handle with a bit of toilet roll and then closed it.

"Right, Aaron is squeaky clean when you're ready to take him." Tom stated.  
"Okay, can you three sit down and wait for your turn in the bath." Sam ordered and Charlie, Jonny and Ellie immediately plonked themselves down on the bathroom mat.  
"I come?" Bella asked as she remained standing.  
"If you want to, yeah." Sam nodded and the girl stood by her mother's legs, ready to make the journey as she loved proving that she could walk as far as she wanted.  
"There we go little man." Tom said as he wrapped the hooded blue towel around Aaron and handed him to Sam.  
"Right, let's go and get you changed." Sam smiled as she balanced the boy on her hip and carried her to the boys' bedroom with Bella walking alongside her with a grasp on some of Sam's jeans in her fist to keep her steady. She dried him thoroughly and then went to get a nappy but he began playing with himself inappropriately - usually, Sam and Tom let the boys fiddle about because they were just curious, but only in their bedroom or the bathroom. Not with his sister there. "Come on, I've got to put your nappy on." Sam said sternly and she had to pull his hand away before she fitted his nappy and then clothed him.

"Mummy why she diffent?" Bella asked curiously.  
"You mean why is _he_ different?" Sam corrected. "And I think you mean the difference between boys and girls don't you?" She asked and Bella nodded instinctively as her mother generally tended to understand what she meant which is why Bella trusted her Mum so much because not many people understood her. "Well it's just how things are. Boys have penises and girls have vaginas." Sam stated as she saw no point in making them call them silly things like 'girl parts' and 'boy parts'.  
"Is it why dad stand and you sit?" She asked.  
"When we go to the toilet? Yeah, because wee comes out from different places so boys have to aim, but girls have to sit." Sam replied as she sat Charlie down. "Do you want to put these on for me?" Sam asked softly as she handed Charlie a pair of socks which he slowly pulled on.  
"Mummy when I toilet?" Charlie asked.  
"It's up to you Charlie. If you want to start potty training, you can ask daddy but I'm not sure if you're ready yet." Sam admitted, as he often didn't know he was having a wet nappy until the very last minute so he didn't appear to have any control.

"Oh..." He babbled as he placed his hands on the carpet and then stood up by himself.  
"Well done." Sam smiled. "Right, if I sit you down with this, can you two stay here please? Sam asked as she sat Bella down with her brother, and then handed them a building block each from the toy box. "That's it, play nicely." Sam warned before she left the room to get the next child dressed.

* * *

**8pm**  
The children had been put to bed after a long Saturday filled with plenty of activities together, and so Sam and Tom were just getting changed in their own room, ready to have an early night but both had things on their mind other than sleeping.  
"Y'know Charlie got your pads out earlier?" Tom began.  
"Yes." Sam replied cautiously.  
"You're not using them at the moment are you? I mean, you're not on right?" He questioned.  
"No. Why?" Sam asked sheepishly.  
"Well I'm just glad that the kids didn't take these out of my draw." Tom replied as he took out a condom from his bedside table.  
"Are you now?" Sam smirked as she knew exactly what he was trying to do.  
"Is that a no?"  
"Of course it's not." Sam laughed before she planted her lips on his, and he gently pushed her back onto the bed.

* * *

A little while later, their clothes were thrown on the floor - as was the duvet - and Tom was on top of Sam as he slowly thrusted in and out of her which caused soft moans to escape her lips.  
"Mummy?" The pleasure was interrupted as both parents looked over to the door to see Bella and Ellie standing in the doorway in their pyjamas with bed hair, and with a look of pure horror on their faces.  
"Bel- no, stop." Sam ordered but the two girls had ran away already so Sam had to jump off of the bed, pull her thin grey dressing gown on to cover her body and then run after them. Thankfully, she caught them just as they reached the top of the stairs where the baby gate was shut. She was out of breath but the children looked frightened and they had tears running down their faces. "Hey calm down, what's wrong?" Sam asked as she didn't know what they had thought their parents were up to.

"Why daddy hurt you?" Bella broke the silence as tears rolled down her cheeks and Sam realised that her uncontrollable moaning must've been perceived to be moans of pain.  
"No no no no no, you've got it wrong sweetheart. Daddy didn't hurt me, he'd never hurt me." Sam said softly, and Tom was standing in his tight boxers just inside of their bedroom so he heard every word - he couldn't go out to calm his girls because he had not yet calmed down, so to speak, from their session and he didn't want to scare them even further. "We were making love, it's just something that mummy and daddy do sometimes." Sam explained.  
"But you made noises." Ellie finally spoke up.  
"That was because daddy was making me feel good, and I was happy." Sam replied awkwardly as she hoped that her children wouldn't remember this conversation ever again. "Look trust me, I'm okay." Sam said reassuringly. "Why were you two out of bed anyway?" Sam asked as it was the first night that she had removed the baby gate from the two girls' bedroom.  
"Potty, but..." Bella trailed off, and Sam had to pat the back of Bella's pyjama bottoms to realise that she had wet herself - presumably because of the fright that she thought that her mother was in pain.  
"Okay, and you?" Sam asked softly as she looked at Ellie.  
"Wee wee nappy." Ellie proclaimed as she patted her nappy.  
"Okay, keep it down otherwise you'll wake your siblings. Come on, let's get you both changed and then tucked back into bed." Sam said as she held a hand of each of the girls, and walked them back to their room which was only opposite their master bedroom.

Sam flicked a lamp on so they wouldn't be too alert that they wouldn't get back to sleep again.  
"Don't look like that, accidents happen. And I'm not mad." Sam said softly as Bella looked disappointed. Sam knelt down and got out another pair of pyjama bottoms. "Just give yourself a quick wipe, and then dry yourself with some tissue." Sam said as she handed Bella a wipe after pulling her trousers down, and then she moved on to Ellie. Ellie placed her hands on her mother's shoulder as Sam pulled the wet nappy off of her, and then wiped her clean with a wipe. "Shall we put a little bit of cream on? That looks a little bit sore again." Sam suggested as she picked up a tube of nappy rash cream.  
"Cold!" Ellie squealed as Sam rubbed the cream in on her upper thighs where the nappy had been caused a rash due to friction.  
"Sshh." Sam whispered becuase she didn't want her other children woken up.  
"Sorry." Ellie giggled and Sam couldn't help but smile. She then pulled up the clean nappy and pulled her pyjama bottoms up again.

"Right, you go and climb into bed." Sam ordered and Ellie toddled off so Sam went back to Bella. "You okay?" Sam asked quietly as the girl stood with a small wad of used tissue in her hand.  
"Where this?" She asked.  
"In here." Sam replied as she pointed to the bin and Bella dropped it in there, before she pulled her clean pyjama bottoms up. She said goodnight and tucked her girls in before she went back to her master bedroom where Tom had gotten his pyjamas on.

"I can't believe they thought that I was hurting you." Tom admitted sadly.  
"Well you was on top and I was moaning." Sam joked halfheartedly, but she realised that Tom really was hurt that his daughters thought that he would do such a thing. "Tom, you know they didn't mean it. If it was two of the boys, they would've thought that we were wrestling or something." Sam remarked as she began to pull on her pyjama shorts and vest. "They just panicked, Bella even wet herself because she was shocked and they didn't understand." Sam added quietly.  
"Is she alright?" Tom asked.  
"Yeah, they both are." Sam replied as she slid into bed and flicked the light off. "Y'know, they came at the worst possible moment I was just beginning to enjoy myself." She smirked.  
"Really? Because by the sounds of it, you had been enjoying yourself for a while." Tom remarked.  
"Just shut up and go to sleep." Sam ordered as a smile tugged at her lips.  
"Yes Mrs Kent." Tom sighed before the couple fell asleep.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	40. Chapter 40

"I no sorry cause it no my fault!" Three year old Charlie screamed at his dad as he had had an accident in his pants, and it wasn't a wee.

"Charlie, calm down." Tom ordered exasperatingly.  
"No you tell me off but I do nuffin wrong!" He shouted by which point Sam had come into the room.  
"Charlie, your sisters are asleep." Sam snapped and it was then that Charlie had had enough and he began crying and running away. He had started in his bedroom, and he had only gotten to the top of the stairs when he felt two hands under his arms and they picked him up. "Look I'm sorry I snapped at you, but you're not behaving very well today are you?" Sam said as she carefully carried him to his bedroom to clean him up. "Daddy's not mad at you for having an accident, these things happen." Sam said softly as she began to get him out another pair of pyjama bottoms. Oddly, Charlie was the only octuplet who was happy for his parent of the opposite gender to see them naked - the girls only let Sam change and bathe them and Aaron and Jonny only let Tom change and bathe them.  
"But you no understand... I... I problem no fault." Was all Sam could make out as the tears rolled down his reddened cheeks.

"Accidents aren't anyone's fault Charlie, me and daddy know that." Sam said softly as she began to changed him but he was old enough to wipe himself clean so she handed him the wipes and he did so slowly and put the dirty ones in the bins. And it was only then that after months of him having accidents since he had come out of nappies, that she realised what the problem might be. "Tell you what, how about me and you go and see Mr Solis tomorrow eh? Because I think you're due a check up." Sam lied.

"Just me and you?" He questioned as he rubbed his eyes dry with his elbow.  
"Just me and you." Sam nodded. She finished cleaning Charlie and then kissed him goodnight, before she went to join Tom in their bed.

* * *

After changing into her pyjamas and brushing her teeth, Sam slipped into bed and glanced at her tensed husband.  
"I know you haven't shouted at him, but he's picking up on your anger." Sam stated.  
"I know... It's just really annoying and frustrating." Tom sighed. "Aaron and Jonny are fine, but he just can't do it."  
"Listen, I think I know why Charlie's having problems." Sam admitted and Tom looked at her and prompted for her to continue. "Well Charlie had the spina bifida corrective sugery, and he hadn't had any further problems, but Mr Solis said that the operation wouldn't fix any underlying problems such as bladder or bowel incontinence. Maybe he's got bowel incontinence." Sam aired aloud.  
"Why didn't I think of that?!" Tom said angrily as he kicked the footboard of the bed.

"Calm down Tom. I've only just thought of it myself." Sam said reassuringly. "Look, I said to him that I'm going to take him to see Mr Solis tomorrow, and he kind of made it clear that he only wanted me with him." Sam explained.  
"Of course, my son hates me." Tom concluded.  
"What is the matter with you today?"  
"Nothing!"  
"Yes it is, you're snappy and moody and quite frankly I don't understand why." Sam argued.  
"Well of course you wouldn't because all you think about is yourself." Tom snapped.  
"Y'know what, I don't understand you anymore. Why are you being like this?"  
"Being like what? You're the one who snapped at Charlie just now. Let me guess, you're on your period so that excuses your behaviour as per usual." Tom moaned.

"I give up." Sam mumbled to herself as she slid out of bed. He had had mood swings before and she knew it was no use in trying to argue with him.  
"Where are you going?" Tom demanded.  
"To sleep in Charlie's bed because then I'll know I'm in the same bed as someone who loves me." Sam replied and she had to quickly wipe away a tear that had escaped her eye. "And for the record, I'm not on my period, I'm late." Sam snapped before she left the room leaving Tom to wonder whether she was being truthful, or whether she just wanted him to worry...

* * *

"Bella." Ellie whispered as she nudged her sisters shoulder. Bella turned around to see her sister standing there in her pyjamas looking upset. "Why mummy and daddy shouting?" She asked and her bottom lip quivered as she clutched her teddy bear tightly in her hand for comfort.  
"I don't know." Bella admitted. "Come here." She whispered and Ellie clambered into her sister's bed and under the duvet.  
"What if it my fault?" Ellie mumbled.  
"Go to sleep." Bella ordered sleepily and reluctantly, Ellie settled down, but both had thoughts running wildly through their mind as to why their parents were fighting.

* * *

**Sunday 8am**  
It was the next day and Fletch and Robyn were in the ED staffroom looking after Ellie, Bella, Megan, Summer, Leah, Jonny and Aaron whilst Sam had taken Charlie to see Mr Solis. She had left Tom in bed and left the house early to avoid having to speak to him as she didn't know why her marriage was falling apart.  
"Hello Charlie." Mr Solis smiled as Sam lifted him up onto the patient's bed, and then Sam sat on the chair besides him.  
"Hello." The boy replied simply.  
"So, what can I do for you?" He queried.  
"Um, Charlie's had some accidents with potty training, I mean he's very good at telling us when he needs a wee, but he has problems with bowel movements and I was thinking that because of the spina bifida, maybe it's bowel incontinence." Sam explained.  
"Right. Well, it's certainly possible." Mr Solis nodded. "Now I'm afraid to be diagnosed, I will need to give an internal exam, and possibly an ultrasound to see if it is the sphincter muscles in his anal passage that are weakened."

Charlie glanced worriedly at Sam, but she gave a reassuring smile in return.  
"Charlie, we think you might have a problem around your bum which is what's causing your accidents." Sam said softly. "But you need to let Mr Solis give you a quick examination otherwise he can't treat you."  
"But you always say my body is mine and no one except me, you or daddy is allowed to see it and that I should never let anyone touch me like that." Charlie whined as he stood up on the bed and Sam had to pick him up before he fell off of it.  
"Yes, but Mr Solis is a doctor, just like me and daddy, and he wants to help you. I promise, Mr Solis is allowed to and I can wait outside if you want."  
"No, I want you." Charlie pleaded.  
"Okay, okay. I'll stay with you." Sam smiled.

* * *

Tom burst into the ED staffroom where Zoe, Robyn and Fletch were playing with his children, but Sam and Charlie were no where in sight.  
"You alright Tom?" Fletch asked with a hint of concern. He had merely woken up to an empty house and the family minivan had gone to he had jumped into his car and raced to the hospital.  
"Yeah, yeah." Tom replied as he caught his breath back - he had thought she had left him for good. But the last two words that Sam had said to him the previous night were still playing on his mind - 'I'm late'.  
"Sam's just taken Charlie to Mr Solis." Fletch explained.  
"Right." Tom nodded. "And is Sam alright? Has she said anything?"  
"About?" Robyn asked curiously.

"Nothing in particular." Tom replied briefly as he sat down on the carpet to play with Jonny.

* * *

Sam carried Charlie out of the hospital room as he was worried sick. He had just been told that he needed an operation to fix him and he didn't like the sound of it one bit. So, he had his head buried under his mother's chin, and his arms wrapped around her neck as she carried him down to the ED staffroom.  
"You were a really good boy Charlie, I'm really proud of you." Sam said softly as she placed him down on the floor, only she rolled her eyes once she had realised that Tom was sitting on the sofa.  
"Can we have a word?" Tom asked.  
"I'm listening." Sam said bluntly and it didn't take a genius to pick up on the tension between them.  
"In private?"  
"Well what can't you say in front of these lot?" Sam frowned.  
"Don't do this." Tom pleaded quietly.

"Fine." Sam muttered. "Fletch, are you alright to stay here for a little longer?" Sam asked.  
"Yeah sure." He nodded so Sam left the room with Tom in tow. He didn't know where they were going until she entered a store room where he expected that they were going to talk in private, only she didn't stop - she merely grabbed a pregnancy test from the shelf, put it in her pocket and then headed to the toilets where Tom followed her.

"I'm pretty sure this is the ladies toilets." Sam remarked as she paused outside a cubicle.  
"Sam, I need to know." Tom stated.  
"What, so that you can book me a termination appointment?" Sam grumbled as she couldn't even bare to make eye contact with him.  
"No of course not." Tom protested as Sam entered the cubicle. It seemed like forever whilst he stood outside the cubicle, hoping that he wouldn't get caught, and he listened tentatively as Sam urinated on the stick, and then came out and washed her hands. "Well?"  
"It'll take a few minutes if you don't remember from last time." Sam stated as she dried her hands. She then took the test out of her pocket, took a deep breath and looked at it. "Negative." She announced quietly and Tom was sure he saw a hint of relief in her face. "Go on, you can go now. You've got what you wanted."

"What? Look Sam, I need to apologise I don't know why I was like that last night I just... Please, can we start over?" He begged and it took several minutes whilst he watched his wife contemplate her answer carefully.  
"I'll think about it." Sam stated quietly, before she dumped the test in the bin and left the room.

* * *

Tom had been at home for ages, waiting for his wife and children to come home because he didn't know where they were - maybe they'd gone shopping or to the park, but he couldn't be sure. But finally, he heard the front door open and his kids came bursting in the front door.  
"Right, can you lot go to the play room and I'll be in there in a minute." Sam ordered and the kids happily obeyed, but Charlie slowly toddled behind as he was still concerned about his upcoming operation. Eventually, it was just Sam and Tom left in the hallway, ready to talk.

"Sam-"  
"No, let me speak." Sam ordered. "I saw a married couple in the ED today, and Connie diagnosed the man with something so I think I know what's wrong with us - or rather, what's wrong with _you_. And I know that you're going to deny it, because that's one of the symptoms. As well as withdrawal, aggression, violence, mood swings... It's called irritable man syndrome, and not a lot of people know about it. It's basically the male version of menopause and I think your case has been brought on by stress, and your testosterone levels are probably really low. The stress of our jobs and bringing these lot up is probably what's making me late too." Sam explained. "Look, I've got you these hormone replacement tablets that you can take one in the morning and one at night." Sam stated as she handed him a small brown bottle filled with pills. "But if I'm wrong and these tablets don't make you better, then I don't know what's going to happen with us Tom, because I can't live like this and I can't let the kids grow up in an environment like this." She admitted and she couldn't help but let tears pool in her eyes. "Say something." She pleaded as she watched him evaluate the bottle in his hands.

Tom opened the bottle and swallowed a tablet dry before he closed the bottle and put it in his pocket. When Tom finally looked up, he saw a tear escape from Sam's eye and roll down her cheek. But before it dripped off of her face, Tom brushed his thumb across her skin and wiped it away.  
"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." He apologised as he pulled Sam into a hug and soothingly rubbed his hand up and down her back. They remained holding each other for several minutes until Sam felt tugging at her trousers. Both Sam and Tom pulled apart and looked down to see Charlie and they both knew what the look on his face meant.  
"One second." Sam said before she poked her head around the playroom where the kids were happily playing with each other. "Guys, just stay in here okay, I'm going to put dinner on."  
"Yes mummy." Sam received lots of so she went back out into the hallway. "Right, Tom come with me, you come as well because we need to have a talk." Sam said as she held Charlie's hand and walked up the stairs with him and Tom behind them. Sam changed Charlie's clothes and because of the recent diagnosis, he had to wear nappies once again - but he still had to tell Sam or Tom when he needed a wee - it was only for accidents until his surgery. "Right," Sam began as she sat Charlie down on his bed and Sam and Tom squatted down in front of him. "Charlie, your operation is not next week, but the week after on Monday, and I've taken the whole week off of work to look after you okay." Sam smiled and the boy timidly nodded. "I've already checked but daddy can't get time off of work but he can still see you during his breaks. And basically what's going to happen, is I'll take you to the hospital on Monday morning, you'll be admitted and then you'll have a little nap. And once you wake up, you'll have had the operation and you should hopefully have control over when you poo, so there won't be as many accidents. You'll need to stay in hospital for a night or two and get plenty of rest, but there's nothing to worry about." Sam explained for the benefit of both of them.

"Will it hurt?" Charlie asked.  
"You might have a little bit of pain when you wake up, but we can get you some medicine to make you feel better right away." Sam replied.  
"Are you two fighting becuase of me?" Charlie asked.  
"What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?" Tom asked.  
"Because you were shouting last night and then mummy came and slept in my bed." Charlie replied innocently.  
"Look me and daddy just had a little argument, but I wanted to come and sleep with you and make sure you were okay. We're fine now, aren't we daddy?"  
"Yeah, we love each other so much." Tom smiled as he leant forward and kissed Sam on the lips.  
"Ew!" Charlie grimaced in disgust.  
"Come here you little rascal." Tom smirked as he lifted Charlie up and balanced him on his hip. "Shall we go and cook dinner for mummy and your brothers and sisters?" He suggested.  
"Okay." Charlie nodded so Sam and Tom began to make their way downstairs.

* * *

Sam was in the ensuite bathroom brushing her teeth when Tom entered and wrapped his arms around her.  
"Y'know, I think that testosterone is having side effects because I'm as horny as hell." Tom stated quickly as he pushed his crotch against her bum and tucked his chin on her shoulder. Sam spat out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth out before she turned around.  
"Very funny." Sam said sarcastically.  
"I'm being deadly serious!" Tom laughed. "And I really want to thank you because that irritable man syndrome adds up. I looked it up and it would explain a lot of things." He admitted. "Including why we've barely done anything in bed recently so when you're ready..." He hinted as he slid his hands around her and rested them on her bum.  
"And what if I come on?" Sam remarked.  
"You haven't." Tom protested.  
"You don't know that." Sam said smugly.  
"Sam, I'm not joking if you don't get in our bed now, then in going to carry you myself." Tom stated.  
"And I'm not joking, if you don't stop going on about sex right now, I'm going to punch you into tomorrow." Sam threatened.

"Woah, okay now I get the point, you're not in the mood." Tom said as he quickly released his wife and put his hands up in mock surrender. "Just out of curiosity, how late are you?"  
"Nine days, nearly ten." Sam admitted as they both went back into the bedroom.  
"Jesus, you _are_ stressed." Tom concluded.  
"Tell me about it. But anyway, I've got not next week, but the week after off to look after Charlie so I'll get some time to relax then." Sam replied as she slid into bed.  
"What operation are they actually doing then? On charlie?" Tom asked curiously.  
"A sphincteroplasty." Sam stated.

"Ouch." Tom grimaced.  
"Don't, because if he hears you saying that he'll get scared." Sam warned.  
"Alright, nighty night." Tom whispered as he switched the light off and then wrapped his arms around Sam.  
"Off." She warned.  
"Are you sure you're not on your period now?" Tom smirked.  
"Off." She repeated so Tom let go of her and laid on the mattress besides her. They had just settled down when she heard little footsteps.

"Mummy." She heard and she opened her eyes to see Ellie standing there twiddling her thumbs. "I need a wee." She whispered.  
"Okay." Sam replied as she switched the bedside lamp on and went into the ensuite without closing the door properly. Ellie was the smallest of all of the octuplets, so now that they had moved on to use the grown up toilet, she preferred to have someone with her incase she fell in. Sam was leaning against the sink whilst Ellie sat on the toilet, when she heard her daughter gasp and she pointed at her mum.  
"Mummy you're bleeding!" She squealed and Sam looked down at her grey pyjama bottoms to see a bright red stain between her legs. Within seconds Tom burst into the room but he let out a sigh of relief when he realised where the blood was as he thought by the squeal that it was something serious. "Daddy!" Ellie moaned as she used both hands to cover herself up.

"It's alright, I'm not looking at you Ellie." Tom stated as he glanced at Sam.  
"Don't you dare say I told you so." Sam squinted her eyes at him.  
"I won't." Tom smirked.  
"Mummy you need a plaster." Ellie stated as she stood up off of the toilet onto the little foot stool and pulled her pyjama bottoms up.  
"No, you need to wash your hands and then daddy's going to put you to bed." Sam replied firmly as the girl pushed the foot stool across to the sink and then got on it to wash her hands.  
"Are you okay?" Ellie asked worriedly.  
"I'm fine Ellie. Just had a little accident." Sam forced a smile as her daughter dried her hands on the towel.  
"Right c'mon princess, let's go and tuck you into bed." Tom said as he guided Ellie out of the bathroom giving Sam some privacy to clean up.

* * *

Five minutes later, Tom returned to his bedroom where the lights were already off and Sam was tucked up in bed.  
"You alright?" He asked kindly.  
"Just dandy." Sam replied sarcastically and sleepily.  
"Come here my beautiful hormonal wife." Tom joked halfheartedly as he pulled her on top of him so that they were chest to chest and she was resting her head on his neck.  
"I am not hormonal. You are." Sam stated.  
"Yeah well I might need a couple of days to get used to them because I feel like a teenage boy and I have an unusually strong urge to watch porn." He admitted quietly.  
"Don't you dare, not in this house." Sam said sternly.  
"I'm joking, I've got all the footage I need right on top of me." Tom stated seductivley.  
"Will you just go to bed." Sam huffed.  
"Yes your highness. But if I wake up with blood stains on my boxers I will not be happy." He smirked - and Sam rolled her eyes. Obviously the extra testosterone had been a shock to his system and it was making him rather hyper.

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	41. Chapter 41

**Monday**

Charlie had just been assisted onto his hospital bed on the paediatric ward with his mother sitting on the chair besides his bed. Sam had brought two bags - one with things for Charlie overnight and her things because she would be staying too, and another bag that was a colourful rucksack filled with all sorts of new things that Sam had bought to keep him occupied whilst he was in bed. Tom was at work, and the other seven octuplets were at home with the three nannies.  
"Mummy, can I go wee wee please?" Charlie asked.  
"Yeah sure." Sam got up and lifted Charlie off of the bed because the was too high for him to get off alone and then she held his hand as she walked him to the toilet and back. Just as he was getting back on the bed, Mr Solis entered with a clipboard.  
"Good morning." He smiled. "I just need you to sign this so we've got written permission." Mr Solis said as he handed Sam the clipboard.  
"Sure." Sam nodded as she signed it and then handed it back.  
"How're you feeling this morning Charlie?"  
"Fine." The boy replied simply.  
"Glad to hear it. Well we'll come to get you in about half an hour to take you to the anaesthetics room where you'll be sedated, but until then you can relax. I'll see you shortly." Mr Solis said before he left the room.

"Mummy, did you bring me toys?" Charlie asked.  
"Of course I did. Why don't you have a look inside this new bag I bought you?" Sam suggested as she passed him the brightly coloured rucksack and placed it on the bed. He sat cross legged and began sorting through it.  
"Thank you!" He smiled as he took out all sorts of new action figures, trading cards and a pretend stethoscope. "Can I check your heart please madam?" He said in a deep voice and Sam smiled.  
"Of course you can Dr Kent." Sam smiled and she felt like she was talking to her husband. Charlie put the earplugs in his ears and then placed the end of the stethoscope on Sam's neck. "No, that's not where my heart is, is it? Where's my heart?" Sam asked encouragingly.  
"There." Charlie answered as he pointed to Sam's upper chest.  
"Well why didn't you put the stethoscope there then?" Sam queried.

"Because daddy said the only person allowed to touch your boobies is him." Charlie giggled shyly and Sam smirked.  
"Did he now? Well I'm going to have to have a word with daddy aren't I?" She laughed too.

* * *

Charlie laid in a hospital gown in the anaesthetic room on a gurney whilst Sam stood besides him and held his hand.  
"I'm going to be right besides you when you wake up okay. Everything's going to be okay Charlie, you're being a really brave boy." Sam said softly as she distracted him whilst the nurses attached his hand to a drip. She then gestured that she was ready to put Charlie to sleep as she held a mask up. "Right, you're going to feel a bit sleepy now Charlie, so I'm going to say night night okay." Sam said softly as the mask was placed over his face, and whilst Charlie looked worriedly at his mum, he soon closed his eyes and his hand was no longer squeezing back.  
"You can't go any further in afraid, but if you'd like to go and wait in his room, we'll inform you when there's any news." The nurse said kindly.  
"Okay, thanks." Sam forced a smile before she kissed Charlie's hand and then left the room.

* * *

Sam couldn't bare to just sit in a room and wait so she had gone down to the ED where she found Tom standing at the nurses station in the middle of cubicles.  
"You alright?" Tom asked.  
"Charlie's gone in." Sam mumbled.  
"Oh... Come here." Tom said softly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug but she quickly pulled away.  
"You smell like sick." She grimaced.  
"Still? I've already changed two shirts and put on-"  
"Half a bottle of aftershave, yeah I can smell that too." Sam smirked.  
"Sam?" Zoe queried. "I thought you had the week off."

"I have, Charlie's having an operation to repair his sphincter muscles and they won't let me observe." Sam replied.  
"Well considering your his mother, no I don't think they would let you observe. No matter what operation it is." Zoe concluded and Sam rolled her eyes. "How're you two holding up?"  
"I'm fine." Sam replied instinctively.  
"Mm, which is why you were tossing and turning all night long." Tom remarked.  
"No I wasn't." Sam protested sleepily.  
"Yes you were; you nearly elbowed me in the balls several times." Tom stated.  
"Too much information." Zoe stated before she walked away.

"Come on, I'll get you a coffee." Tom offered as he put an arm around her shoulder and began to head towards the ED's small shop.  
"Make it a double expresso." Sam grumbled.  
"Is that wise?"  
"And what's that supposed to mean?"  
"It's supposed to mean that you and caffeine go together about as well as a three year old and blue smarties." Tom remarked and of course he knew exactly what _that_ was like.  
"Mm. It's kind of like you on testosterone pills." Sam added cheekily.  
"Oi, shush." Tom whispered.

"Sorry, didn't realise you were embarrassed about it." Sam couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"M... Mu... Mum... Mummy."  
"I'm here Charlie, it's okay. Mummy's here." Sam said softly as she held the young boys hand as he awoke in his hospital room. "Can you tell me if anything hurts Charlie?" Sam asked quietly.  
"Nothing hurts." He croaked.  
"Well that's brilliant, isn't it." She smiled. "Charlie, the surgery went really well and you were really brave."  
"I... I tired." Charlie mumbled as he slowly lifted his hand and rubbed his eye.  
"I know, you will be for a little while. How about I read a story to you?" Sam suggested.  
"The hungry... Caterpillar?" Charlie asked sleepily.  
"Yes, if that's what you want." Sam got the book out, and held Charlie's hand as she began reading it to him.

* * *

The next morning, Mr Solis came into the check on Charlie and saw that Tom was visiting before his shift started, whilst Sam had stayed the night so she was curled up in the arm chair with her hoodie draped over her, but she was awake.  
"Mummy I need a wee but I can't go." Charlie said quietly.  
"Um, I can help there." Mr Solis said to make his presence known. "I can remove the gauze dressing now and I'd recommend letting Charlie take a bath as it may help with the pain a bit. And also, it's best to try and urinate when you're in the warm water because that can make it easier as some boys can't go after they've had the operation." He explained.  
"I like bath time." Charlie smiled.  
"Well there we go then." Mr Solis smiled. "But Charlie, I just need to remove the padding to make you a little more comfortable." Mr Solis stated simply as he pulled on a pair of gloves.

"Okay, just roll onto your side mate, look at me and don't worry about what he's doing." Tom said to distract Charlie as he helped him to roll over. Mr Solis untied Charlie's gown at the back, and then pulled the bloody gauze out.  
"Right, I believe the bleeding has stopped so I'm happy for you to take a bath when you want to. But don't have any soap in the bath, and don't make it longer than twenty minutes." Mr Solis warned as he did the gown back up and then put the gauze and the gloves in a bin.

* * *

Charlie was sat in a bath of warm, clear water whilst Sam and Tom sat next to the bath to keep him company.  
"Right, you ready to get out? Because I need to be getting to work soon." Tom said as he stood up.  
"Did Mr Solly say I could wee in the bath?" Charlie asked confusedly.  
"If you need to yes because you couldn't go before you got in the bath could you?" Sam replied.  
"No, so I can go now?" He asked.  
"Yes, but only this once. It doesn't mean you can always wee in the bath. It's just the warm water helping your muscles to relax." Sam said sternly.  
"Turn away." He ordered and Sam stood up besides Tom and they both looked away from the bathtub.

"We're looking at probably taking you home today Charlie." Sam stated to make conversation.  
"Really?" Charlie said excitedly.  
"Yes but you can't go playing with your brothers and sisters too much because you need to take it easy." Sam stated.  
"I done." Charlie announced so Sam turned around and pulled the plug out before she grabbed the shower head and turned the water on.  
"Let me just give you a quick rinse." Sam smiled and the boy giggled as the water tickled when it hit between his legs.

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	42. Chapter 42

**A/N Okay, I had planned on continuing this story for a while longer, but thanks to my god knows how many exams I want to finish this stort so I know I haven't left anything unfinished and I can focus on my grades so I'm sorry to say this is the last chapter. Thank you to sarah4steve and TeamJapsie for reviewing every chapter! And I have already written the remaining chapters for WW3 (my other story, so that will be finished too.) Thanks for reading :)**

**September 2032**

Finally, it seemed that Sam and Tom had done their jobs, as they had sent their children off to university, and for the first time in ages they had the nine bedroom home to themselves. Aaron was studying mechanical engineering at Cardiff university, Jonny was studying dentistry at Manchester and Charlie was studying sports science at Birmingham university. Meanwhile, Megan was studying nursing in Edinburgh, Leah was studying politics at UCL, Summer was studying French at Oxford, Bella was studying pharmacology and pharmacy at Nottingham university and Ellie was studying veterinary medicine at Cambridge.

They had been raised for eighteen years by their parents, and it was finally time for them to look after themselves in the big bad world - of course they would still come home for holidays, and they stayed in contact. And Sam and Tom were financially supporting all of their children as the money had been saved over the years, but just like when Sam and Tom were first married, they were living at home with no one but their spouse, and to be honest they were almost relieved because their children - thought intelligent - had certainly been a handful to raise.

"I hate menopause." Sam moaned as she fanned herself with a bit of paper from her bedside table. "I've got a headache, I've got a UTI, I'm sweating like a pig and my vagina is as dry as the Sahara." Sam complained as she laid on her side of the double bed in just a vest top and a pair of shorts.

"Far too much information." Tom smirked as he got onto the mattress besides her - hot flushes had been common as she had begun to hit menopause and so they rarely slept with the duvet on the bed anymore, Tom managed with an extra hoodie. And Sam certainly wasn't having an easy menopause like some women, but thankfully her children - especially her daughters - had been very considerate and understanding so they knew when she wasn't feeling well that it was a kind gesture for them to cook dinner or to keep the noise down whilst she rested. "The paracetamol should be kicking in any time soon so just give it a little bit more time." He added comfortingly. "Y'know I can't remember the last time that there wasn't a single one of our kids in this house at night." Tom admitted.

"Neither can I... It's brilliant isn't it?"

"Sam!" Tom laughed.

"What? On c'mon, it's nice to have some time to ourselves."

"Yes but considering I wouldn't dare to even suggest that we make love because of the state you're in, it's not exactly how I thought that this day would go." Tom explained.

"Look I'm sorry."

"No, no. Don't be sorry you soppy cow. It's not your fault, and this'll all be over soon."

"I'm 47, this could last years." Sam retorted.

"But-"

"I need the toilet." Sam interrupted before she slid off of the bed and walked uncomfortably into the ensuite bathroom. Literally seconds after she had gone in, she exited with flushed cheeks, born from a hot flush and from embarrassment.

"You can't go, can you?" He said softly and Sam shook her head as she got back on the bed - the UTI was really getting on her nerves. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked kindly.

"Run me a cold bath?" Sam suggested jokily, but Tom happily got out of bed and entered the ensuite.

"Bubbles or not?" He shouted as Sam heard the water behind turned on.

"No bubbles." Sam ordered.

* * *

Tom had been sitting next to the bathtub whilst Sam took a nice soak in the cool, soothing liquid when he noticed Sam's eyes drooping.

"Hey, don't fall asleep here. Let's get you into bed." He said softly as he got up and grabbed a towel for her. Sam slowly got up out of the bath and stopped out onto the mat as Tom wrapped the towel around her thin frame. He helped her get dressed into a clean pair of shorts and a vest top before he laid her down in bed and made her take her antibiotics for the urinary tract infection. "Night night." He whispered as it had been a long day after they had dropped Ellie off at cambridge with a long car journey there and back. It was only 8pm but he settled her down, and Sam fell asleep whilst Tom sat besides her reading on his kindle.

Suddenly, his phone began ringing which he quickly answered and made his way onto the landing so he didn't wake his wife who often found it so hard to get to sleep.

"Hello?"

"_Dad_." He heard, and it was the unmistakable mature voice of his daughter Ellie.

"Hi darling, how's it going? Aren't you going to a party for your first night?" Tom asked cheerily.

"_No, I'd rather have a night in to get to know my place and unpack_." Ellie admitted.

"Okay."

"_Um... How's mum_?"

"She's asleep, just about."

"_And was she alright on the way back from here? I know she was really uncomfortable in the car._" Ellie said sadly.

"She was a little restless but she's alright now. Y'know, it's hard to believe that you're eighteen now. It seems like yesterday that I was taking you out of your incubator in NICU for the first time."

"_Don't get all sentimental or I'll start crying_." Ellie smirked.

"We both know you don't cry, you're just like your mother." Tom stated.

_"Look, I just wanted to say to you I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me, and helping me with the applications because I can't believe I'm at the best university in the country._" Ellie admitted.

"Well you've worked hard darling, you've done unbelievably well for the little girl that I used to have to help with her times tables so you deserve to be there. And me and mum are so proud of you."

"_Thanks_." Ellie replied shyly. "_Well I... I'd better carry on unpacking, otherwise I'll never finish_." She joked halfheartedly, but Tom could tell in her voice that she was nervous.

"Yeah, goodnight. And don't forget, me and mum are always a phone call away and we can be there in an hour if we get the train if you ever want to see us at the weekends."

"_I know... Goodnight dad_."

"Night night." Tom replied before he hung up the phone. He slowly padded back to his bedroom where he found Sam tossing and turning in her sleep. He climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around his wife securely because he knew she had sometimes fidgeted so much that she had fallen out of bed and had a nasty bump in the night. "Sshh, sshh." Tom said softly as he kept a firm hold of her, and she soon settled down before she entwined her legs with his.

Eighteen years ago, when he had said in sickness and in health as part of their wedding vows, he meant it. And he hoped that they would continue to have a long and happy marriage, because his children and grown up, and so for most of the year, it was just the two of them at home.

**The End**

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